Souls in the Dark
by Fumbls
Summary: Lord Voldemort discovers a book speaking of a Dark curse, and his plans to fight the force of fate change. Now Harry has to deal with immortality, dreams of a stranger, and an obsession with Humanity. Bit of a Dark Souls crossover. Currently year five. Horcruxes are in play, but this time its going to take more than one death for Harry to get rid of Voldemort.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Disclaimer: this story, meaning even what is unwritten, are based off of the works of the wonderful Jk Rowling.

Any disclaimer after this will be warnings about content or maybe likely a joke. Breaks in the story will be displayed with DSDSDS, if i change it you will be told up here. Anyway, enjoy the story and please tell me what you think. I feel like Hermione after a big test over here.

LAST THING I SWEAR!

As of late march 2016 I am starting to do revisions of the story. If you have any thoughts on what could be better or worse as you are reading please let me know. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it!

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Lord Voldemort was a wizard with no equal. He had defeated countless opponents with relative ease throughout his whole life, using both the might of his magic and mind. In school he grasped nearly all aspects of magic faster and in greater depth than even his professors. Having grown up weak and powerless, the young Tom Riddle became twisted by the might of his magic and eventually adopting the monicker "Lord Voldemort". Though even as his magic matured, the influence of his Death Eaters spread, and his knowledge grew, he could still never have enough.

His focus for a time turned towards the practice of rituals to empower himself further using the life-force of others. By thirty, he had magical reserves that rivaled any other wizard, perhaps even the legendary Merlin. Going so far as to split his very mind in two, he was constantly learning and studying magic within his own mind while carrying out attacks and giving orders to his growing army. His knowledge and power loosing almost any limits, what matter was it to him if some others had to die to give him their precious souls.

His Horcruxes though turned out to be the grandest idea until that point. It was truly a way to beat death. Mad though as he was, he could still see that while death may have been beaten, it would never go away. No matter how long it took, his Horcruxes could eventually be destroyed. What he ultimately decided to do was simply overpower Death itself. While no easy feat, Voldemort knew he had hundred of years if he needed them. If it had taken him a hundred years he would still have kept looking, for his mind had become unable to focus on anything but one goal after being split so many times. He met several dead ends, studying everything from light magics to even a children's tale, but still could not find anything after months of research.

Fortunately, his Horcruxes turned out to be of even greater use than he or anyone else had ever envisioned. With a soul split into seven pieces, each piece acting as a catalyst, he found he could add to and expand the size and strength of his very soul. He could steal the strength of as many souls as he could get his magical fingers into, and ultimately nothing would be able to stand in his way. His death eaters had proven useful, but would rapidly become obsolete. By that time he hoped to have masses of followers under the influence of his mark, all of whom would have their souls ripped from their bodies when he needed them. It was a brilliant scheme, backed with years of prior plotting and study already spent towards a similar goal. Every day Voldemort found himself to grin a little bit more, and would often spend hours laughing madly into the empty air at his mansion.

His plans all came to a sudden halt when a young potions master and Death Eater by the name of Severus Snape told Voldemort half of a prophecy involving the Dark Lord and an unborn child. Voldemort felt fear for the first time since he was young far younger and had yet to gain the confidence of a Lord. For while he had found the perfect way to beat death, the realization that fate could surpass death changed his focus towards this new threat.

At first he planned to use this "Child of Prophecy" as the catalyst for his seventh Horcrux. The elegant Irony of the act made him shiver with the dark pleasure he took in the thought, but ultimately he knew it simply wouldnt be practical. If he were to beat fate he would need the power and knowledge to do so before he tried to face it.

So it was an easy decision for him to promptly order every one of his death eaters to attack the ministry. They flooded into the ministry not five hours after the prophecy had been made, early when there was a minimal amount of people to resist, and proceeded to start slaughtering every person inside. Those under his control inside the ministry turned off all floo access and changed the wards to block port-keys and apparation, trapping everyone inside. Several layers of wards were also brought in with the attack and placed to provide further protection. Together, the wards proved to be nearly as powerful as those of Hogwarts, though nowhere near as long lasting. Several patronus messages and owls were able to be released, but they were sent needlessly as no help could get inside for ten hours. By that time, thirty civilian ministry employees were gone along with the prime minister Millicent Bagnold, one of the two Heads of the DMLE, twenty Aurors, fourteen Hit Wizards, and thirty-seven MLES wizards. Every one of their wands was found snapped in a giant pile in the middle of the atrium, along with Bagnolds head.

What was unknown to all but the Death Eaters was that Voldemort had been the one to single handedly storm the Department of Mysteries and massacre all 70 Unspeakables inside. To only Voldemort was it known that one of the thousands of globes in one particular room of the department had been taken. He had destroyed everything else of unimportance in the entire department with Fiendfyre until the entire space was burned to ash. In muggle London, a building had collapsed, with clear indications of fire damage. Despite this, no witnesses reported seeing any smoke at all, only the sudden collapse.

Alongside the slaughter, nearly every thing of value, importance, or even general use was taken. From the secret safe in the Ministers office, to much of the massive library of tomes the ministry had been stockpiling for hundreds of years, there was little left over. Wether all of it was taken though was not sure as many rooms were in ruins, to the point several floors had collapsed from Fiendfyre and spell damage.

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With the greatest secrets of generations of Unspeakables at his fingers, the Dark Lord began reading from every Obscure tome he could find, looking for some clues on the workings of magic that could defeat destiny itself. In one small book found hidden amongst the sealed notes of an Unspeakable from an unknown time, he read of a cursed land from another plane. One that could be connected to his own through the sharing of souls. Voldemort's laughter filled his mansion for many hours, causing severe uneasiness in all those who heard the insane cackles.

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Ok, now the prologue is the prologue, and no longer includes chapter one. Tanks for the read, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

So it begins!

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Harry Potter felt the itch on his forehead for the first time when he was seven years old. He had always had a small dark spot in his hairline and had taken notice as it had started to get bigger while he grew. Neither did this go unnoticed, or without ridicule by the Dursleys, the relatives with whom he lived. By the time he was eight, it was nearly three centimeters in diameter and was clearly an unnatural inky black. His hair, once short, grew to cover the strange mark. There was nobody to even see it though, as he rarely spent time outside of the house but for classes and yard work. Even those that did either ignored it, treated him like some sort of freak, or beat him up with Dudley.

His aunt had long since given up trying to trim his hair, which further grew to cover his eyes. It seemed to be slightly less prone to sticking up in strange places than before, so she left it alone, which she was glad to do. Petunia and Vernon had always been unnerved by the child, and rarely ever touched him or even let him within arms reach.

As he continued to grow the lonely boy became more and more isolated from others. None of the other kids would ever even talk to him lest Dudley would decide to show them what Harry-hunting felt like. The long dark hair covering his face also did little to help, and with him constantly looking down very few ever saw the green eyes hidden beneath his dark hair. The cold treatment from his family nearly broke the boy, but something in Harry kept him going. Some inner strength children can develop that is nearly undefinable.

At this time he also began to have vivid nightmares with increasing frequency. After them he would wake having forgotten what happened other than the sense of terror. Eventually though he started to remember, and his dreams were of great kingdoms and vast lands filled with vile monsters and glowing gods. Sometimes these dreams were terrifying, and other times like watching old tales of knights in silver armor fighting demonic beasts for their lord. He knew the place was like his own world, but something bad had happened there. What it all meant he would not discover for years to come.

Despite seeing fearsome dragons and a mass of what looked like sentient skeletons, what scared him the most was a scene of a man bearing the same mark as him. His skin was like a half rotted corpses but the same mark still struck a endless hole in the beings skin. Harry would soon come to believe it was a sign of a terrible curse despite how much he tried to convince himself otherwise.

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Harry was happy yet again that his hair hid the curse mark on his brow. He had only been aware of the existance of magic for a short time since meeting Hagrid and knew it would likely have even more meaning to other witches and wizards. Hagrid had asked to see it but had only responded with a pat on the back and some words about how it made him look tough for a little one.

Now the jolly half-giant had taken him to the heart of London, a place he had never gottenthe chance to visit before. Hagrid's stature drew most attention away from the little boy next to him which made Harry wonder if Hagrid was as nervous in public as he was. Even without many eyes gazing his way the sheer amount of people was starting to make him very uncomfortable. Luckily once he was through The Leaky Cauldron, a dingy bar that held the entrance into the magical portion of London called Diagon Alley, traffic wasn't busy enough for anybody to pay him or his tall friend any attention. Most people were apt to give Hagrid a wide berth anyway.

Hagrid had asked if Harry would be interested in looking at some pets nearly immediately after exiting the strange bank run by goblins. Hagrid left him outside of a store emitting many animal sounds to go pick up a few items for school. The enormous man had a bursting passion for animals and had spent much of their conversations describing various magical creatures and beings one could come across. He even admitted, sheepishly to Harry's confusion, that he was half giant. Harry thought it was quite amazing to be half giant as being bigger and stronger than everyone else was something Harry often wish he had. Hagrid, blubbering, told him most people didn't think so, and began to outright cry a bit as he thanked the boy for being so kind.

Sadly, while Harry had looked at nearly every animal at the store, none of the animals seemed to particularly like him or even acted outright hostile towards him. So the boy told Hagrid he should show him some other magical creatures at Hogwarts during the year instead. Harry was quite fond of his first friend in the magical world and thought it would be fun to see the strange and wonderful sounding creatures the large man talked about. Hagrid in the end insisted on buying Harry an old but sturdy little brown owl who was the only one not to refuse an owl treat from the boy. The bird had seemed wary of its new owner, more so than Hagrid had ever seen, but it seemed to sense its new owners intentions better after the purchase through some secret owl magic and rested quietly in its cage.

The rest of their trip through the alley had gone by faster than Harry would have liked. He felt at home amongst the tomes of spells, enchanted objects, and glowing potion bottles. His green eyes had been drawn towards a shop that sold equipment for a game called "Quidditch" several times as they went up and down the alley. Hagrid explained the sport in some detail after seeing how it grabbed the boys attention. Harry thought it sounded fun in the same ways that football always had. However the same feelings of dread came along with them after Dudley's many beatings on the field after catching the younger boy trying to play several times.

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Now just days from entering his first year at Hogwarts Harry was unable to sleep. His nights were filled with dreams of imprisonment in a cursed Asylum, guarded by great demons. He watched as the prison, dark and confining, began to age and rot around him. These dreams were forgotten when the boy woke up, but still traces of them lingered somewhere...

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Harry had found his way onto platform nine and three quarters after a very strange looking family had disappeared through one of the pillars. He had quickly made his way over to try and find them, but saw only the concrete pillar. Not sure if he had been imagining things, Harry pressed his hand up against the stone. He was highly alarmed when his fingers sank into the stone, and even more alarmed when he was pulled through by some unknown force. A bit disoriented and startled, Harry had arrived just in time. He was amazed by the sight of the giant steam engine that sat on the rails. It was like looking at something out of a book like many of the strange things he had seen since joining the magical world. It appeared the train was soon to depart as there were many people, including most of the members of the strange family from before, rushing towards the open doors, and the whistle began to blow. Grabbing his trunk and owl he hustled them through the crowd of adults dressed in various styles and colors of the strange robes they all wore.

Harry was able to get his trunk on board and into the overhead compartment of one of the empty compartments the other students sat in. He was unsure of what to do, and so just sat down with one of his new magic books to read. He was interrupted by a red-headed boy who, upon seeing the book in Harry's hands, promptly left to find a different compartment. He was also yelled at by a rude girl about his own age with bushy brown hair that shrieked out a long and confusing stream of sentences about a missing frog all in one breath before slamming the door shut.

After the initial interruptions, Harry spent much of his ride reading from a book that apparently taught one to defend themselves from evil creatures and wizards. Harry was enthralled with the idea of hunting down dark mages and creatures of the night. The books moving illustrations and descriptions were wonderful, and he found himself engrossed for several hours until an older boy with a badge that said "prefect" popped his head inside and told him to change into his uniform. Harry had to stifle a laugh as he saw the badge change to say "Perfect Prick Percy" several times in the short minute he had stopped in.

By the time the train came to a stop at the station, a place called "Hogsmeade", Harry was ready. Or so he thought.

Having no idea what was going to happen, his trip to the castle had been nerve-racking. The Skeletal Horses pulling the carriages he saw were scary looking but seemed docile enough, not to mention none of the others seemed to mind. Floating up in little boats to see the giant castle was definitely a good memory that he would cherish for the rest of life. It was strange that everyone else, even the strict looking professor who brought them inside, was looking for someone the whole time. Harry had moved to the side of the group, and didn't hear any of the conversations of the other students and only assumed another student had gotten lost.

As the group of first years approached the great hall, all of their attention shifted to the sorting. Harry grew nervous as he was now close enough to the others to hear about the dangerous and embarrassing challenges they would have to pass in order to be sorted. One boy claimed they would even have to fight a dragon. Harry took in a deep breath as professor Mcgonagall opened the great doors that lead to where the rest of the school awaited their arrival.

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As it turned out, the sorting was little to be afraid of. The hundreds of older students watching them were what terrified him. Harry hadn't given much thought to which house he wanted to go in but he was definitely nervous about having every person in the school stare at him. He just wanted to be treated nicely and, if possible, be left alone to study all these amazing forms of magic. Convincing himself it would be over soon and that nobody had any reason to hate him yet he managed to relax while the other students started to get sorted.

He was only mildly startled when he finally heard his name, and hastily made his way to the stool in front of the staff table. Harry didn't notice the silence around him, or the stares of every student in the hall. He did notice the teachers all staring at him intently as he approached but thought it was normal and focused on the hat. He was sitting down with the hat on before he even had time to think about it.

"Now THIS is an interesting mind! So many memories, though some of them get rather bland for a while there." Shouted a voice from INSIDE Harry's mind. It continued before he could even get out a single word in response. "Yes, I do say you wont be building friendships left an right, whether for the sake of doing so or to gain anything from them. And while your adventurous spirit is strong I don't think it would be best to sort you there, as you seem to have no care for the glory. Yes, i think it had better be..."

"RAVENCLAW!" Shouted the voice again, though this time it hurt both his brain and his ears. Despite the volume of the hat, the sudden uproar in the student body, who Harry now sat facing with the hat off, was several times louder. Harry quickly hopped off the stool and made his way to the table underneath the banner featuring a stoic raven. He was greeted by several enthusiastic claws on his way to sit down, all of whom shook his hand or gave him an encouraging smack on the shoulder. Quickly the chaos was set to order by the headmaster, and the sorting resumed. Harry spent the rest of the Welcoming Feast being greeted and congratulated by older members of his house. He was not sure why it was an honor to have him in their house, but many of them seemed to think so. He wasn't used to so many people talking to him, but still went to bed that night at least hopeful that this year would be fun.

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The first few weeks of class were the best in Harry's life. Not everything was perfect, but he was learning so many amazing things that he didn't even care.

The majority of his classes were with the Hufflepuffs. While even they admitted they weren't the most focused on classwork, they were all nice to Harry and the rest of the Claws. They were far better than the Slytherins, who treated him and most others like they were inferior. Harry didn't mind much, as he found it very easy to ignore people after having been ignored himself for so long. Harry also managed to avoid most of the schools bullies in this time. He had helped the infamous Weasley Twins a hand in pulling a prank on Professor Snape after overhearing one of their plans which provided him with a degree of protection and the locations of secret passages to get around the school unnoticed. The Pink Ponytail their creepy potions master sported for a full day was enough to earn him their eternal gratitude. Whoever had given him that invisibility cloak would hopefully approve of its use.

As for his own classmates they were all completely focused on their studies. People would play the occasional game of wizards chess but otherwise the members of his house spent their time alone. Several study groups formed as their workloads increased mostly just to have other people studying nearby. Harry was surprisingly glad that his classmates left him alone besides the occasional conversation in the halls between classes. He spent most of his free time pouring over books about duelists and battle mages which was respected by most of his peers.

His experiences in class were varied but overall could be called fun. Potions was the only class he had trouble in, and it was entirely the fault of the teacher. He answered nearly every question right, and got an O for nearly every potion he made, but it never seemed to make the teacher happy. Even so, Snape was an excellent teacher to those who listened. It was in the Claws nature to do so anyway who did their best to help the Puffs that were so scared of Snape they wouldn't even talk before class started. He may not have been the nicest man but Harry was impressed that he could bark corrections to what a student did wrong from across the room by smell, or so Harry guessed. Harry wanted to know why the teacher disliked him so much but could never work up the courage to do so.

Defense class, despite what he had been reading before, turned out to be quite boring. His instructor was so completely frightened by everything he could barely make out a single sentence without seeing the shadow of something coming to get him. His lectures on dark wizards and vampires in Transylvania were a complete waste of time, and the spellwork done in class seemed too easy even for all the Gryffindors.

It turned out Charms was his chief source of battle knowledge. After expressing an interest in dueling and fighting dark wizards in his introduction interview, his head of house had told him to come to the dueling lessons the school offered. Flitwick, who turned out to be an international level champion duelist, and Quirrell organized two meeting times a week, one for the lower years and one for the upper years. At Harry's level, they mostly just practiced their aim with stinging hexes and disarming spells. Harry proved to be quick at casting and very accurate even against the older kids whom he gave quite a bit of trouble. Flitwick secretly began to consider private lessons for the boy as he was surely going to be an Auror one day. Dumbledore had spoken of the return of Voldemort and even though he hoped the Headmaster was wrong the Professor knew his aged mentor rarely was about such things.

Transfiguration had been exciting at first, but there was so much theory to learn before every type of spell that he lost some of his enthusiasm. Studying was great, but Harry hated having to spend extra time on one thing when there was so much else to learn. Still, changing a match into a needle was the first amazing thing he did with magic. Or at least he felt that way.

Once a week he had also started to meet with Hagrid at his hut on the edge of the forest. The jolly fellow was ecstatic to introduce Harry to Fang, who was like-wise very enthusiastic in his hello to the boy, soon covering him in a large amount of drool. They would spend this time talking about the different creatures that lived in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was also careful to explain where the dangerous creatures lived and that even some of the more docile creatures would not react well to his presence. Their discussions would go on until the fire burned low and Harry needed to get back lest he be caught out wandering after curfew.

When Harry found out about Hagrid's pet Dragon he didn't at first understand why they were illegal to own. Even as the hatchling grew to the size of a large dog it was friendly to both Hagrid and Harry, even curling up with Fang at the end of Hagrid's bed. Once he did some reading about the laws though he knew he couldn't let his friend risk getting in so much trouble. Harry convinced his friend to find a new home for it with one of the dragon preserves in Europe. While Hagrid didn't know of any place for him he begrudgingly went to Professor Dumbledore who had arranged for a team of dragon handlers to come and take "Norberta" to a dragon preserve. Hagrid was distraught at the loss, but had been promised he could visit occasionally. In the end Harry was just glad Hagrid hadn't gotten in trouble even if he missed scratching the soft scales on its nose to hear the interesting chirps it made.

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Harry's dreams began to worsen as he approached winter break to a point he worried others would notice. Christmas eve he was up early exploring the castle beneath his fathers invisibility cloak when he ducked in an empty classroom of a strange and unused wing of the school. Harry came across a large mirror inside that as soon as he saw it he could not help but to want to stare into it. Instead of just showing his reflection though the mirror depicted a older version of himself with short hair and no mark burning on his forehead. In his hand he held a mysterious black and white flame.

As harry stood there trying to understand what it meant he began to look closer and closer at the dark sprite in the mans hand. He felt his nose touch the glass but still felt he could not look close enough at it.

Hours later Harry awoke feeling cramped and sore. He was still under his invisibility cloak, and noticed that looking through it the mirror was empty. Then he remembered what happened the night before and how he must have stared at the mirror until he fell asleep. Scared by his loss of control under the influence of the strange magical mirror Harry made his way towards his dorm to get ready for the day and think about what happened the night before.

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The rest of first year went as smoothly as the first. Harry was asked to be part of an official inter-house dueling club that was formed after the spike in its popularity. It was arranged by Professors Flitwick and Quirrel who had chosen students who they thought would be interested for the first few meetings. There Flitwick and, to a lesser degree, Quirrel showed all the members some of the basics of dueling, as well as training exercises for each grades expected skill level. As first years Harry and his group didn't have much luck casting anything other than their usual mild stinging hexes and disarming spells. Mostly they continued target practice and learned how to safely dodge out of the way from spells. While the small group of students enjoyed the lessons immensely they all agreed they should get more people. Eventually the group decided to let anyone join after agreeing to rules made up by the original members and teachers. Rivalries soon began to spring up, though mostly between the Griffs and Snakes. Towards Easter weekly dueling tournaments were even being held by the older years, sixth and seventh especially. Members of each house, two for every year, would face off against each other. The winner for each year would receive a prize usually consisting of chocolate or, to Harry's embarrassment, a kiss on the cheek from one of the older girls in his house. Yes, Harry was beginning to truly appreciate the art of dueling.

Two weeks before terms end, the regular club members, who had become the de facto leaders of their years, were given a huge room on the third floor to hold the club in. It was previously under renovations supposedly and had been off limits. While most students had grown to love the amazing sport every week, much of the Seventh year population was unable to attend. On top of years of shoddy Defence professors, Quirrell left shortly after the club was given the room, and they all struggled with their studying for Defence NEWT's. Still there was several members that came once a week to practice and let off steam from the rigorous testing. Harry made more friends than he could ever have hoped for during this time and looked forward to the club next year with all the new ideas that were planned for it.

As Harry was often one to wander Hogwarts late at night it was natural he would bump into the Weasley twins again. They took a liking to the famous hero and began to show Harry some of the secrets of the school. The information they provided was invaluable as Harry had started to sleep less and less even though he never felt tired at all when he awoke. The house elves in the kitchens were always eager to give him as much food as he could eat when he stayed up late and grew hungry, and his occasional trips into the restricted section were far less risky being able to disappear behind several tapestries in the library that lead to secret tunnels. By the final day at school Harry was sure that he knew the place better than any first year before him.

Harry boarded the train back with a compartment full of people all laughing and joking. He may not have been able to consider them all friends as he was still a very quiet person and felt he mostly had little too add but they were all content with his silence. Many didnt understand how their hero could be so introverted but the rest who knew him just accepted his shyness and encouraged him to speak up more.

And so Harry returned to the Dursleys, happy and impatient to be on the train again going back to Hogwarts.

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After a boring summer of yard work, no interaction with his new friends outside of the occasional owl post and the Dursleys treating Harry like he didn't exist, Harry was excited for class to start again in a few weeks. He had received a strange warning from a scared creature called a house elf that told him he wouldn't be safe at Hogwarts this year. It had taken him hours, but he eventually calmed the creature down enough to explain that he would be safe. Once he convinced Dobby, as the elf called himself, that he would inform Headmaster Dumbledore of the house elves concerns the excitable elf calmed down. While it seemed to not work at first, the crazed elf recognized that "Headmaster Dumbleydore" was indeed a great wizard and could protect Harry. He just wished he knew what danger it was, but the poor elf couldn't manage a word of it because of some sort of magic. He thanked the elf and told him he would try his best to free him of his current master if he ever found a way.

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It was only several days until school began when he went to Diagon Alley to pick up his school supplies. Professor Flitwick picked Harry up early in the morning and they met with several other members of the new dueling club to get their supplies and look at equipment they might need for the club. They had gone to a small shop that sold all sorts of dueling gear like pads, wand holsters, training dummies, and even a device that could record and playback things like a muggle camera. Harry had purchased a wand holster for his forearm as well as a set of padded robes. His professor also told him to purchase several tomes on casting, and defending from, all manner of regulation spells that were commonly used by beginners. Harry did not find out why until later after everyone else was gone and he thought Flitwick would bring him home.

"So Harry my boy, what do you think about the Club? I do say it has been quite fun getting back into my dueling roots, and im sure you all will gain valuable experience in defending yourselves. As one of the more active members, I would value your opinion on any changes or additions that should be made." Flitwick guided Harry towards Fortescues Ice Cream shop and ordered two large cones. When they were seated Harry thought it was the best time to answer.

"Well professor, I think its brilliant already! There are a lot of other students who seem to be interested, and we learned far more than I thought we would last year. I think the only problem the club will have is not enough meetings!" Harry rarely was excited like this, but after spending the day with his friends following weeks at the Dursleys put him in a particularly good mood. He hadnt even thought about the mark on his head all day other than the occasional itch. Flitwick was also proud to see his formerly reclusive Claw start to spread his wings and make friends. It was also comforting to see that he was making friends with members of all but Slytherin, and would surely become one of the most popular students in the school once he came out of his shell. The diminutive Head of House finally was sure of his decision to give Harry private lessons even as the boy unknowingly brought up the subject. "However I was wondering Professor," started Harry, "why you asked me to buy these books. Im sure ill love reading them, b-but you said that you would explain why later." He was a bit nervous to ask, as he was not used to being so forward with adults. He was relieved when a smile broke out on the Professors face.

"Yes, I was just getting to that." Flitwick chuckled as he replied. "I have been watching your progress closely, as I try to do for all my claws, and have decided to offer you private lessons in dueling. I see you easily becoming an Auror one day, and despite my long hiatus from the sport I believe I could impart at least some knowledge that would help you on that path. Of course this means I expect you to maintain top marks in all your classes, as well as several hours out of your free time twice a week. If you would like, Mr Potter, I would thoroughly enjoy being your tutor."

Harry was speechless after hearing what his offer. He never would have thought somebody could actually think he was good at anything, let alone want to spend extra time teaching him. It took him half a minute before his brain processed the information.

"I would like nothing more Professor! I don't even know how much to thank you. Are you sure you want to teach me?" Despite the trust he had in his Head of House he was still wary about getting his hopes up for anything.

"Why would i joke about such a thing my boy! I think the whole of magical Britain would want to." He smiled as the boy seemed to believe his words. He knew that Harry was a bit guarded but had not realized until then just how much. It raised many questions, but Flitwick hoped the boy would eventually answer then himself. "Anyway, I have another piece of information I would like to share. Headmaster Dumbledore asked that I inform you he would like to speak with you once you reach Hogwarts. I think after the Sorting Feast would be the best time to approach him."

"I- um, well I'm not in trouble am I?" Harry asked nervously. He had yet to really speak to the old wizard but the tales of his power made him out to be quite a imposing person. He seemed relaxed when Harry had seen him at Hogwarts but if he was in trouble he was sure to be angry.

"Oh no of course not! I suppose I should have included that he just wanted to discuss your extra lessons, as well as answer some questions he realizes you might have about your parents. We had all assumed you knew of how important you were to us all and I was just one of many who could not believe you were so in the dark. Dumbledore, as well as myself and much of the other staff, knew your parents well and would answer any other questions about them. I have a few stories about Lily during her school years I could share some other time.

"That would be great, Professor. I didnt know so many people knew them, or even me, before last year. It would be nice to know more about them."

"Perhaps during some of our lessons we could find time to talk about my favorite student and the boy who stole her away. So, do you feel comfortable seeing the Headmaster now? I can assure you he is quite kind and that you will enjoy the experience very much."

"Of course, I was just a bit nervous like you said."

"Well, I think it is best we be heading home. I promised to have you back soon and have many things of my own to take care of before the new year starts."

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Harry dreamt that night of him trying to break out of the prison he visited most nights. He could only watch as he was discovered by the guards, who themselves had long since fallen to the curse. All intelligence gone the walking corpses simply continued what they did in life. His capture lead to him being locked in a cell of his own. It was small and flooded, with only a dreary view of an overgrown courtyard below through the rusted iron bars...

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Before he knew it Harry was getting on the Hogwarts express once again. After an uncomfortable car ride with the Dursleys he was finally about to go back to the only place he could ever remember being happy at for longer than a few minutes or hours. Just knowing he would be there was enough to make him bristling with energy.

The following ride on the Express was spent with a compartment filled past capacity with varying people who had become friends with Harry over the last year. They did soon get bothered being cramped together, and everyone decided to split up to look for other friends to catch up with. Harry visited a few compartments of the upperclassmen who waved him into their compartments after he started to wander himself. He even got into a slight altercation with a blonde Slytherin whom had been rude to Harry several times before. Needless to say the ponce's broken nose was well deserved after a joke about having a "hole in his head". It was the first time Harry had ever used violence against another and he immediately decided he would no longer let himself be on the receiving end anymore.

After almost an hour of wandering from compartment to compartment Harry began to grow anxious and started to get a headache from all the talking. He had spent most of the summer, not to mention his life, having been spoken to infrequently and speaking to others even less. Of course it took him a while to find an empty compartment as every couple of doors would open to people asking him to join them. When he finally found an empty looking compartment he checked up and down the corridor before quickly opening the door behind his back and slipping backwards inside down onto one of the benches too tired to even look inside. He was not expecting the seat to be nearly as lumpy, and he definitely wasnt expecting it to talk.

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A/N

Im loving going back through these chapters but WOW this one alone took hours to comb through. Im sure its not perfect but I definitely think I have improved in the year or so since I started writing this.

Thanks as always for reading!

BYE!

*waves with both hands*


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Sitting down without looking will not likely end this well.

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"Did you know you have a Nargel problem?" Asked the lumpy cushion in a girls voice. Harry jumped so high his hair may have even brushed the ceiling when he realized what happened. He quickly turned around to start apologizing, but was unable to say anything after seeing the person he sat on.

She had long blonde hair, almost as light as that prick Malfoy. In her hands was a magazine that appeared to be made of entirely blank white paper and she wore large earrings made of some sort of fruit or vegetable. She also sported a pair of large purple tinted glasses that seemed to swirl between lighter and darker shades. Harry stared for only a moment, but embarrassingly realized he had his mouth open.

"O-oh im so sorry! Are you okay? I didnt mean to flop down on you like that, but ive been looking for an empty compartment for ages and this-"

"Oh, its quite alright Harry, you actually only sat on my legs, which are quite durable." Said the girl with a very dreamy voice as she took off her strange glasses. Beneath her eyes were a piercing light blue that gave her a very mystical look. "Im just glad you didn't sit on my copy of the Quibbler, or I would have to send a letter to daddy to get a new one. Im reading an interesting article about Spotted Katsya's and would hate to have lost my place."

Harry had several questions spinning around his mind at this point. He was luckily calmed down by her forgiveness.

"Whats the Quibbler?" Harry simply asked, forgetting his manners in the presence of the unusual girl.

"Why, its my fathers monthly magazine! He travels the world looking up interesting stories and then writes lovely articles to put in. You haven't heard of it?" Harry had read the Daily Prophet a few times, but grew bored with the articles. They only ever seemed to talk about ministry gossip and boring parties. This on the other hand sounded quite interesting.

"Well, no, I dont really read the papers much. Im not really interested in politics, but a magazine about adventures sounds great. Do you think I could buy a copy of this months issue?"

"Hmm.." She said as she thought about it for a moment. "I dont think it would be any problem at all. I can give you an order form, which you can owl with a galleon to the address thats on it. If you do it tonight, you should receive it tomorrow morning." She then reached into her bag, which had an interesting pattern of flowers stitched onto it, and pulled out a slip of parchment. Harry took it and looked it over quickly before slipping it into his pocket. He wasnt quite sure if she wanted to be left alone, as she seemed to have been for most of the ride.

"Well, I see you were alone, so if im bothering you I can go. I didnt get your name though. Im-"

"Harry Potter, yes I know who you are. Im quite sure nearly everyone does in Britain. My name is Luna Lovegood and it would not bother me at all if you stayed. Nobody has talked to me yet even though they keep coming in here. I was getting worried another Quigglesnap was following me. It appears the Nargles following you scared it off."

"Its a pleasure to meet you Luna, and I wouldn't mind staying at all." Harry responded to the interesting girl. "I probably wouldn't find an emptier compartment for an hour anyway. What are Nargles, by the way?"

"They are rude little bugs that swarm around the heads of people with many thoughts on their mind. I dont think I have seen anyone with a problem as bad as yours." He was alarmed at the genuine tone of worry in the girls voice.

"Will I be okay? Do i need to go see a healer or a- a exterminator?"

"Oh no," Luna giggled, "You may forget things occasionally but they don't do any lasting harm. The only thing I know that keeps them away are Dirigible Plums, like my earings." She made a point of lifting one of the large earrings slightly. It actually floated in place for a brief moment after she let it go before floating back down into place. She then gave her head a slight shake to show off how they bounced around slowly like helium filled balloons.

"Where could I get one? I wouldn't have to wear them as earrings, would I?"

"Of course not. Just one in your pocket should be enough. You could keep one of mine for a while, I wasnt planning on wearing them too often anyway as I hear House Elves are allergic. I would feel awful if the Hogwarts elves got the sniffles when they came near me."

"Thanks a ton Luna. If it will help I would love one." She took off her strange earrings and handed one to Harry. He was surprised that it almost felt like holding a ball of cotton, not a potato sized plum. "Ill take good care of it. How long do you think it will take for them to leave?"

"Oh, a day or two should do it. Just keep it in your pocket for the day and I think most of them will have left."

"Its wierd, nobody has mentioned them before though. Do you need a spell to see them or something?"

"Im not completely sure, but I think I may be the only person who can see them. There are actually quite a few creatures I see that nobody else seems to notice." Harry didnt know what to think of this new information. Clearly the girl was eccentric but at the same time far from crazy. It was hard to just take a persons word though and Harry was conflicted for a moment before deciding that based on his interaction with her so far it was more likely she was the only person who could actually see them. Luna did not seem like the person who would lie or even have a need too.

"I think you should meet my friend Hagrid. He's the groundskeeper at Hogwarts and absolutely nuts about magical creatures. Im sure he knows about them, or maybe why only you can see them. Are you a first year?"

"Mhm, im very excited. Is the castle as big and mysterious as my father tells me?"

"You have no idea, the place is massive! I dont know how many hours I spent wandering the castle last year and still havent been through the whole place. I would be more than happy to show you around, if you would like?" She smiled at him suddenly. It was the brightest smile he had ever seen, and it made him want to smile more than anything else had before. Well, maybe the time Dudley crashed his new bike into a ditch filled with sewage water beat it, but only a little.

"Ive never had a friend before!" She exclaimed. "And to think its Harry Potter himself. You are very famous for stopping Lord Moldyshorts." She was about to say something else, but the look on Harry's face made her stop for a moment.

It seemed as though he had gotten the wind knocked out of him and was quite a sight. Really Harry actually couldn't breath as he suddenly needed to laugh harder than his body was even capable at of that moment. Taking in a deep breath after a moment, his peals of laughter moments later were soon accompanied by those of the girl sharing the compartment.

The rest of the ride seemed to be over shortly, during which time Harry found out Luna wanted to be a Ravenclaw like her parents. He wished her luck and told her all the great things about being a Ravenclaw as well as he thought of the other houses. By the time he was done she seemed to want to be a Claw even more. He also learned that his new friend was just as bad at socializing as him and planned to spend her time learning all there was to know about magic more than anything else, a similar goal to his own. When the train finally came to a stop Harry introduced Luna to Hagrid who quickly struck up a conversation with the girl about Unicorns as they went towards the boats.

Harry was then pulled into a carriage to be chatted to by a fourth year Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory. He and Harry had both become friends through the dueling club. While Cedric had started playing quidditch last year he was also enjoying the club just as much. They talked mostly about the new dueling strategies they came up with on the short ride before Cedric suddenly asked him a question.

"Harry, would you do me a huge favor?" Cedric asked nervously.

"It depends what it is, but if I can, I will." Harry replied cautiously. It was mostly the strange way that he asked which caught him off guard, as he trusted Cedric quite a bit.

"Well... Could you, uh... talktochochangforme." The last part was said very quickly and to the floor but Harry still understood and started laughing rather loudly. "Hey! Its not funny Potter! Im serious here, will you do it?" It took a few moments but Harry was able to eventually nod his head a few times to tell him yes before falling back into his seat laughing. The carriage stopped right then and Cedric quickly departed to get a spot at his table.

When Harry stopped laughing, he eagerly made his way into the castle. As he walked through the courtyard into the Great Hall, he felt many of his worries leave him, as he never felt more at home than Hogwarts.

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"Ravenclaw!" Shouted the Sorting Hat only moments after the hat was placed on the young blondes head. While there was a moderate applause from most of the Ravenclaws Harry could be clearly seen and heard clapping loudly as he stood up at the table. He got many questioning looks as Luna made her way happily over to where he gave her a congratulation and offered her a seat. After introducing her to some of the other Claws Harry and Luna spent most of the meal conversing about strange creatures, how to best combine strange mixtures of food, and of course their classes. Some of the Claws nearby took a liking to the odd girl while others were envious of the person who suddenly seemed to be closer friends with The Boy-Who-Lived than anyone else.

After Professor Dumbledore had ended the feast and ordered the Prefects to bring the houses to their common rooms Harry told Luna he would be back at the tower shortly. She gave her new best friend a tight hug before skipping off to catch up with the other first years being lead to Ravenclaw Tower. Once the Hall was cleared, Harry made his way up to the Teachers table, where Flitwick and Dumbledore were still conversing.

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Dumbledore had seen many students pass in and out of the halls of Hogwarts. Out of all of them Harry was undoubtedly the one he had failed the most. Young Tom used to weigh heavily on his mind but ultimately he knew there was little he could have done as he had not even expected the signs of madness to be present in such a seemingly bright student until it was far too late. Harry though was the second time and the second chance he had always wanted. When he realized how deeply he failed to look after the young man in his care there was little he could say to excuse himself.

While the Blood Wards were a brilliant bit of Magic that kept Harry safe and hidden growing up he had simply left things at that. If he had only known how those despicable muggles would treat their own family he would have rather raised the boy at Hogwarts himself. Now the boy was stuck having to go back there or the wards would drain away the Dursleys lives in absence of a wizards magical core to feed from. He had hoped to give the boy a normal childhood and was only now realizing that the unfortunate child would likely not lead a normal life for some time, if ever at all. Plans were being made to make up for the shortcomings in Harry's life, such as the private lessons with Filius, and so he hoped to help curb the darkness he thought might have started to grow in the young mans heart. Often he would find the boy alone in deep thought looking deeply troubled, something Tom was apt to do during his time at Hogwarts.

And so it made the aged wizard very happy to see the smile on Harry's face as he approached the head table. It was a wonderful change from last year when the boy had looked awkward and isolated from his classmates. As with most smiles Harry's was infectious to those around him and both himself and Flitwick could not help but smile back at him as he approached.

"Hello, Headmaster. Professor Flitwick told me you wanted to speak to me after the Sorting feast." His smile stayed, but the hint of nervousness in his voice made Dumbledore chuckle internally.

"Yes, I was rather hoping you would agree. Filius," he turned and said, "Your proposal is very appealing, and something I think could be very useful to Hogwarts. If you dont mind though could I have my meeting with Harry and call you in my office later to discuss things further?"

"Of course that would be fine. Besides, I think patrolling the Hallways for a while might be a good idea. It may not stop them, but delaying the Weasely Twins pranks for at least the first night might be a good idea. Farewell Harry, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow in class." And with that the short wizard walked out of the great hall to begin searching for the telltale signs that Fred and George were at work. It was not long before he started to follow the unmistakable stench of dung bombs and gave a chuckle at the boldness of the schools resident pranksters.

"Now that I am free, we shall make our way to my office. Follow me, Harry." Dumbledore started walking at a somewhat brisk pace, or at least it seemed like it to the far shorter child. Down the corridors and up a flight of stairs they went, until the Headmaster stopped in front of a Gargoyle statue blocking what appeared to be a small staircase.

"Fizzling Filibusters." The Headmaster spoke to the statue. He did not know when the tradition had started but the password had always been some sort of sweet or candy. Of course it was just a formality as passwords could be stolen, and so most of the real defenses to his office were not nearly so obvious. As always he was careful to check that nothing was amiss through his contact with Fawkes as he brought the boy up the narrow staircase leading to his office. It was hard to miss the shocked look on his students face as he took in all of he interesting gizmos and knick-knacks that the Headmaster had become accustomed to seeing around his office.

"Please, take a seat." He said as he motioned towards on the comfortable chairs in front of his desk as he made his way around to his own. When they had both sat down, he fixed his gaze on the boy for a few moments as he thought of what to say.

"Well Harry, how did you enjoy your first year? I noticed you have excelled in many of your classes and am glad to report all of your professors have said little but good things about you."

"Even Professor Snape, sir?" Asked the boy hesitantly. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he leaned back into his chair assured the following conversation would be quite entertaining.

"Well getting him to give a compliment is a notoriously hard thing to do admit. However he did comment that your potions work has been 'acceptable' which I do say should speak for itself. Is there a particular reason you ask?" Dumbledore grew inwardly nervous that Snape had let his grudge against the boys father carry too far.

"Well, he isn't exactly nice to me, but he isn't to anyone else I guess. He does seem to push me a bit more than others but I think it has only made me learn more. Complaining would be a bit unfair considering that is his job and how well he does it."

It took another few moments of silence for Dumbledore to ponder how to explain things with Severus. Quickly he decided it would be best for them to sort the details out between themselves in the future but for now he would explain enough to help the boy understand. Of course he would also have to talk to the potions master as well but it seemed it would not need to be nearly as severe a scolding as he guessed.

"What you must understand Harry is that your Father and Severus went to school together. While there has always been a rivalry between houses, James and Severus were particularly hostile towards each other growing up for many reasons. Neither of them were free of guilt for being the instigators of this in many of their friends opinions. Perhaps one day it would be best for you two to discuss things as I was not close enough to the situation to fully understand. I do promise to talk to Professor Snape about going easier on you but for now I think its best to let him learn to appreciate the differences between you and your father than the similarities. Your father was never a brewer and perhaps Professor Snape was expecting the same thing."

"Thank you, Professor." Harry hesitated before asking his next question. "About my father, well I dont really know him or my mum. I was wondering what you meant by 'similarities'?" This made the old wizard chuckle at the innocence with which the boy asked about his parents. It was followed by a brief feeling of sorrow for the loss of two bright young life's and the effect it had on this innocent child.

"Im sure you have heard how much you look like your father and that your eyes are the same striking shade of green that your mother had?" He paused as the boy nodded his head in response. "Well, there are some things beyond that too. Your mother was an incredibly intelligent witch, and your classwork so far shows that you inherited much of that. Your father, while a bright young man himself, was also known to be quite good at making friends as well as having a mischievous streak that was displayed with numerous pranks during his time here." He paused again to take in the somewhat guilty look Harry failed to hide. Happy to see his guesses were correct the old mage only chuckled again as he realized his guess was correct. "They were also fiercely loyal friends to anyone who earned their trust. Which reminds me, I have a gift I think you will appreciate." Wandlessly, he floated what looked like a thin book bound with thick leather into his hand from the shelf behind him. He then handed it to Harry, who looked at him in confusion before moving his gaze back down as he opened the book.

Harry was silent, and flipped through several pages without looking up. Dumbledore waited patiently as the boy took in the meaning of the gift. He did not have to wait long before Harry looked back up, sadness in his eyes now mixed with his still happy grin.

"Thank you sir. I dont even know how to express how much I am. Where did you find this?"

"Well it wasnt too hard to track down photos of your parents and their friends. They were quite popular, and spent most of their time here and after together. Originally it belonged to your mother and many of the pictures were taken by herself over the years." Harry looked even more awed as he realized his mothers hands had held the same book he just received.

"Really, this is the greatest thing I have ever gotten in my whole life. I don't even deserve such a nice gift."

"Of course you do Harry. I am simply giving back to you only a small portion of what life owes you. If you ever feel the need to talk to someone about anything at all know my door is always open. But before we get too far lost in the past there were a few things in your future we needed to discuss."

"Is it about the private lessons with Professor Flitwick?"

"Yes, exactly." Dumbledore could clearly see the intelligence he had seen in the young Lily who had sat in that very chair herself at his age to complain about James' behavior towards Severus. "I wanted to inform you of the responsibilities and restrictions placed on you if you take them. Firstly, I think it would be best if you did not inform too many other students. There are those who would be quite envious of you, which would not be entirely unfair of them to be. But there is a good reason for it Harry, one which I had hoped would never come up."

"W-whats that?"

"Im sure you have heard of your involvement with the downfall of a powerful dark wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort." Harry nodded his head to affirm he knew. "Nobody knows exactly what happened that night, but he has not been heard from since. Everyone, including myself, hoped he would never return."

"Are you saying he might come back then, Sir?"

"I am sad to say he might already have made his return. There has been word of a powerful evil spirit haunting the forests of Transylvania for years, but this could be seen as not all that unusual." Dumbledore paused long enough for Harry to process this information. He knew the boy might have trouble dealing with the thought that an evil wizard was after his life.

"But theres more, isn't there Sir?" Harry simply responded when Dumbledore failed to continue. It seemed that the boy was unfazed by the potential return of the Dark Lord. In fact, there was a familiar look of determination on his face he had seen James make often during the last war. Encouraged by this he proceeded.

"Yes, it goes beyond that. I believe you remember Professor Quirrel from last year?"

"How could anyone forget?" Harry said a bit mockingly. He realized that he had said something rude it seemed, as the boy looked at him afterwards with his mouth open to stammer an apology. "I- I mean, he was really interesting and all-"

"Your rudeness, while normally something I wouldn't condone towards a Professor, is in this case justified. It seems that our nervous young professor was in fact working with the shade of the Dark Lord. I had planned to lure Voldemort into a trap last year here in the unused section of the school. I grew concerned for the safety of several young Gryffindors who were investigating the mystery of the closed floor last year where my trap had been set. Worst of all, it seems that Quirrel was even being possessed by Voldemort throughout his time here. We found his body just outside the wards after the object of value I had moved here was removed and given back to its owner."

"So he is out there right now? Is there anything we can do?"

"At this time, no. There are too many places a shade could hide and even if we could locate where he hides catching him would not be a sure thing. For now it seems he does not yet have the strength to return to a physical form which gives us time to prepare. Eventually though he will make his first move and it will be our duty to be prepared. I had hoped to delay giving you this information but seeing your eagerness to fight back against him it would be a waste to put off your training."

"What am I supposed to do? Im not much of a wizard but I am glad to help in any way I can."

"Of course you will need only study and enjoy your time at school for now. Eventually you will be prepared to help handle his return but before that you will need to build your strength and expand your understanding of magic. That is why I have approved of these lessons. I want you to remember though that these lessons are not to teach you to fight, but to defend. You may not like to hear it, but you are far too young to be going up against Dark Wizards."

"I dont think I would do very well either, sir. Honestly, I would rather focus on learning for as long as I can."

"Well, I think that will not be much of a problem at all. You are in a school after all. Now then, im sure you are tired of talking to this old man and would rather spend the night with your housemates. Did you have any questions for me, Harry?"

"Well there was something I promised to tell you, though it may seem weird. A house elf visited me this summer to try and convince me not to go to Hogwarts this year. He said I would be in grave danger and it took me hours to convince him otherwise. Do you think this has to do with Voldemort?"

"It is hard to tell, but it is likely. Though I doubt it would be through direct means yet. I will look into it nonetheless, and advise you to keep vigilant as well as remind you to inform me of anything strange. Can you do all that?"

"Of course, sir."

"Well then, you may let yourself out. I will notify you if the password changes."

"Thank you for everything Professor." Harry said as he stood up and started towards the door.

"Oh, and Harry," Dumbledore started, halting the boy who turned back to face the old wizard who wore a mischievous grin, "You will find that the secret passage behind the tapestry of the Manticore in the library has moved itself somewhere else in the school." He took great pleasure in giving the boy these scares and only continued to smile as the speechless boy nodded his head and hurried out the door. When his footsteps quieted Dumbledore addressed the Phoenix who had perched himself above them on the lights.

"Could you sense it as well, my old friend?" Fawkes gave a mournful trill in response before flying down to his perch next to the desk. It sent the Headmaster into a deep thought for several minutes as he pondered how he could help the boy before it was too late.

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A/N

Another chapter with a bit more polish. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Warning!

There, now you have been warned.

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Harry's first few weeks at school were almost too easy in his opinion. Classes were mostly review, which he did enjoy to some degree as his books were confiscated by the Dursley's all summer. Of course, not all his classes were review.

With the new year came another opening for the position of Defense Professor. It was with some initial excitement that Gilderoy Lockhart, a well known fighter of evil and best-selling author, who took the position this year. Most of the excitement came from the girls, though Harry did think his adventures sounded interesting from what he had read. Within five minutes of his first class with the man all previous feelings of respect towards him left.

The fool had given them a test immediately. While not exactly what anyone would want, the test was comprised entirely of questions about Gilderoy Lockhart. Not a single question had anything to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Harry was livid at the fact he was once again getting an incompetent teacher. He wasn't sure he could do anything about it though and lazily filled in random answers. In the space for the final question "What do you like most about Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry crassly wrote "His humble nature." Unsurprisingly the sarcasm flew right over the idiots head as he thanked Harry in front of the whole class for his kind remark. This caused him to do quite a bit of explaining to his fellow Claws after class.

As lessons with the man went on Harry eventually decided he would have to just study Defense on his own and got an older student to charm more useful texts on Defence to look like the sociopaths novels. He wasn't the only one, as many of the Ravenclaws would spend his class studying while the narcissistic man rambled on about his great exploits which seemed to have more to do with fashion than anything else. Even a few Slytherins in his class would pull out books when his lectures got too boring.

Other than his frustrating teacher there was little else to spoil Harry's mood. After classes every day Luna would meet with him in the Ravenclaw Tower common room. Usually they would proceed to the library to study when they needed to use several books at once or go to an empty classroom where they were free to talk without Madam Prince kicking them out. Harry was surprised to find that he enjoyed working with someone else more than studying alone. It was apparent it was mostly the specific person he was with that made things fun however. Luna could make him laugh like no other and was definitely deserving of her place in the Claws. Her marks were usually better than his, if by a narrow margin, and she rarely ever needed help with questions. Their study sessions often turned into debates on magical theory, which she had no trouble keeping up with him about. Luna's mother was apparently a spell crafter and had taught her daughter many of the inner workings of magic that would normally be quite hard to grasp. Even Harry had trouble understanding the importance of using Latin to focus spells.

When all homework was finished and notes thoroughly studied the two would take to simply roaming the castle. Harry had discovered quite a few secrets about the ancient castle but Luna noticed many things that he did not. She had found several hidden passages he walked by nearly every day and did her best to describe the invisible beings that roamed the halls. They started to even try making a map one day. To their disappointment this became impossible as every day the castle would change and the idea was quickly scrapped. Harry and Luna weren't bothered too much as aimlessly wandering proved to be far more fun than simply going from place to place.

Harry was also asked to try out for the Quidditch team by his friends in the tower. While he did not want to actually play he enjoyed flying lessons the previous year enough to accept. He also knew Cho Chang was trying out and wanted to take the oppourtunity to embarass the pants off of Ed- *ehem*, Cedric. The handsome Hufflepuff had talked to Harry again and said he would be watching the try-outs. It was a poor decision on his part which he would have realized if he knew why Harry seemed so happy that he would be there.

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"Alright, Potter, what position are you aiming for?" Roger Davies, second in command of the Claws team, questioned Harry.

"Seeker seems to be my style." Harry replied. Really, he didn't care much either way, but Cho was aiming for seeker and his plan needed him to be close to her.

"Alright, go join Cho doing warm-up laps. I wish you luck. From what I hear she is a brilliant seeker."

"Thanks, Roger. See you later." Harry quickly mounted his broom and started to ascend towards where Cho was quickly doing laps around the top of the Quidditch pitch. It seemed there was to be little competition for them as there were only a few more people waiting all of whom went to try out for other positions. Harry was a bit relieved as too many others trying out for the spot would interrupt his scheme.

"Hey Cho!" Hailed Harry as he reached her height and started to match her speed.

"Oh, hey Harry! Trying out for seeker?" She smiled confidently. It seemed she was very sure she would get the spot.

"Yeah, Cedric and a few of our Housemates convinced me I should try out. This was the only position I thought I could have any talent in."

"You haven't played before?"

"I fly when I can but otherwise no I haven't really played. I know the rules though."

"Well, I wish you luck. You seem to be a comfortable enough flyer for a second year. Ill warn you though, speed is the king up here while looking for the snitch. Keep an eye out for the bludgers too; a hit to the head could send you falling to the ground." Harry visibly gulped at this information, causing Cho to giggle.

"T-thanks, ill try not to get hit." Remembering his original purpose for being here, a big grin broke on his face as he turned back to Cho.

"Speaking of Ceddy, is he any good? He talks a big game, but Ive yet to see him play. Missed the 'Puff matches last year." A bright smile cracked her face, which Harry had hoped would happen. He stifled a chuckle at how she ignored the fact neither brought up Cedric at all.

"Oh, he's brilliant! You should have seen him fly last year. He caught the snitch every game, though they only won the first match against us. I would bet he gets made captain next year."

"Really, well you should know he fancies you." Harry sprung on her. Her reaction was what he expected, as she nearly fell off her broom.

"W-what? How do you know?" She sputtered, face quickly growing red.

"Cheeky bugger asked me to talk to you in the carriages at the beginning of the year. So I'm guessing you fancy him back then?" This caused the already embarrassed girl to get even more red as she stammered out her reply.

"I- well, yeah I suppose." She managed. "I dont know how to talk to him though. He always has girls around him and I was positive he would be dating someone else."

"Nope, and he's right down there in the stands watching." Harry said, pointing to where the 'Puff was sitting in the bleachers. "Pretty sure he came to watch you more than me." It was almost concerning how her face managed to get an even darker shade of red. It seems his plan would be even more successful than he hoped.

"Oh Merlin, how am I supposed to play now? I don't think ill be able to focus on anything now."

"Well, I would just try and impress him as best you can. He already likes you, so you don't have much to loose." He needed her in flying condition otherwise his plans might not work out. It seemed his encouragement did the trick as she took deep breaths and began to focus.

"Okay, thanks Harry! Do you think I should talk to him, or wait for him to ask me?"

"Oh, I think these things have a way of working themselves out. Just focus on flying after that snitch as best you can."

"Of course." Conveniently, Roger Davis chose this time to signal them over to start their tryouts.

The first test was to show they could dodge bludgers. Six people had tried out for the spot of beater and their goal was to hit them as many times they could. Harry was a bit nervous after Cho's warning about the twitchy balls. Gripping his broom tightly he hoped could fly well enough to dodge the worst hits.

It turned out that even dodging the worst of the hits meant little. Harry and Cho both did well, or so they were told, but Harry was still hit three times. It felt like someone hit him with the bat instead of the ball each time. Luckily he stayed on his broom through all of them. Cho on the other hand was calm and determined through the whole thing, and only took a glancing blow to one of her legs. She even executed an impressive maneuver where she turned the momentum of the hit into a corkscrew without loosing speed. From the stands Cedric could be seen cheering loudly afterwards. Cho's face grew quite red again and did her best to quickly composed herself when the next test was given.

"Alright, this next part is the big one. Im going to release two snitches, and whoever catches theirs first will likely be the one who gets on the team. Try your best, both of you, and look out for stray bludgers. Any questions? No, good. Now get up there and catch some snitches."

Harry couldn't control his excitement. He looked down at the spectators and found Luna, who waved excitedly at him. He gave a wave back along with a knowing nod, which was returned.

Three days earlier, he had been trying to think of ways to tell Cho of Cedric's affections in a way that would embarrass him the most. Luna had been the one to come up with the idea of doing it at the tryouts. They then decided the best way would be to get the two close to each other somehow after he spilled the beans to Cho. Hopefully it would at least cause the two teens to grow quite red in the face. After a few silent minutes of thought, it was Luna again who had the best idea.

"Oh, I know the perfect thing. We could charm the snitch she has to catch so that it flies to Cedric!"

"Bloody brilliant Luna! But I don't know any spells that would do that."

"Neither do I." She had frowned" "We might just have to look them up in the library."

"Alright, lets get going then!"

They had rushed to the library and proceeded to search furiously for spells that could do what they wanted. Ultimately they could only find a somewhat complex spell that charmed balls to return to their owner. They spent several hours trying to understand the theory behind the spell but ultimately couldn't get even a marble to roll across the table. Harry this time was the one to think of the best solution to their problem.

"Fred and George! Those two are brilliant at charms. I bet they could enchant it easily."

"What are we waiting for? Lets go! Oh, and mind the Blind Poyedker there. They hate being stepped on."

"Woops, thanks Luna."

It had been quite easy to find the two as they spotted several Slytherins covered in magenta paint angrily walking towards the dungeons. Just around the corner they found the infamous duo still laughing at their latest successful prank. They stopped as they noticed the pair approach.

"Well if it isnt-"

"Our favorite Ravenclaw. And who-"

"Is this? We didnt know you-"

"Actually socialized with anyone, Harry."

"Im Luna Lovegood, Harry told me about you two. A pleasure to meet you, Fred," she acknowledged towards one, "and George." She said to the other. The twins shared a surprised look between themselves.

"Did he now?"

"And it seems, my good sir,"

"That she can tell us apart."

"Even when our mother-"

"Has stopped trying to figure out-"

"Im Fred and you are George."

"No no, I'm Fred. You're George."

"Are you sure? I could have sworn I had it right. Anyway-"

"It is a pleasure-"

"To make your acquaintance!" They said in unison, both extending a hand. She shook each of their hands at once without missing a beat.

"We were hoping to find you two." Interrupted Harry. "Since your last prank seems to have worked out could you help us with a prank of our own."

"Friends with Harry Potter-"

"And a prankster to boot?"

"We have quite interesting young apprentices here, brother."

"What can we help you with-"

"Our dark-haired friend?"

"Well, ..."

After explaining the prank, both twins looked positively evil. They even started laughing maniacally. A plan was quickly put together, with everyone playing a role.

Harry was to go to the ball cupboard in the locker roomand "acquire" one of the snitches the Ravenclaws used for practice. He snuck out late the night before using a secret tunnel that lead underneath a false rock near the pitch under his invisibility cloak. He withheld his owning it from the twins, knowing it would drive them mad figuring out how he got around without being seen. After borrowing the small ball he took it to Fred and George who cast the proper Charms and Enchantments on it. It was quickly returned to its place, and they waited for the tryouts the next day.

Now, it was Luna's job to control the movement of the snitch, namely towards Diggory whom she currently sat behind. She got into position while Harry started flying around the pitch looking for his own snitch and tried to act inconspicuous. He saw the Twins leaning against the entrance to the Gryffindor locker rooms, looking eagerly towards where the unknowing Hufflepuff sat. The only part of the plan that had changed was the how it would affect Cho which was now a bonus to an already great prank.

It was several minutes before Luna made her move. Suddenly Harry noticed Cho pick up speed and begin flying quickly around the field. The small crowd in the stands were excitedly pointing up towards her and cheering. Harry grinned as the snitch lead the unknowing Claw closer and closer towards the crowd.

Suddenly the Snitch changed course, heading straight towards Diggory, Cho hot on its wings. Neither was expecting for it to fly straight into Cedric's hand, bringing Cho to a stop only a foot away from the 'Puff. Both of them looked at each other in shock as their faces quickly turned red. Most of the crowd started laughing, some harder than others as they knew about the two's feelings towards each other.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to catch it! It just flew right at me!" Yelled a distraught Cedric. He thought her red face was one of anger, and assumed he had made his crush angry at him.

"Throw it back out Diggory, and stop messing with my try-out!" Yelled Davis as he rode by on his broom. Cedric quickly tossed the small golden ball back into the sky, where it zoomed off, out of sight within moments.

"Get back to it, Chang!" Roger yelled at the flabbergasted girl, who blushed further before taking off in the direction the snitch had flown. The twins were laughing uncontrollably down where they stood, but Luna was playing her part well and appeared to be looking at something floating around her head.

Twice more the Snitch lead Cho on chases around the pitch. Each time it would wind up in an increasingly embarrassed Cedric's hands. He would then apologize profusely, when the poor girl couldn't say anything as she could only think of how he liked her. Much of the crowd was in tears as they were faster to figure out what was happening than the those involved, which was a sign of a well executed prank.

After the third time those close to Cedric could see him thinking hard about something. It was not long before his head snapped up to look angrily at Harry, who started laughing uncontrollably at the glare he was receiving. Cedric quickly looked over towards Cho, who was once again coming near him. He grew a bit paler as the situation finally sank in fully. Nobody thought it possible for the pale boy to turn so white and some said he even began to sparkle in the sunlight, causing even more laughter. One poor Hufflepuff almost fell out of the bleachers but was luckily caught by his laughing comrades.

As Cho was nearing and it became obvious it would happen again Cedric shot another look towards Harry who just gave him a smile and a thumbs up. This seemed to give Cedric back a bit of confidence as he turned to look at Cho. Moments later the Snitch predictably flew straight into the outstretched hand of Cedric. Once again Cho was following closely behind, soon coming face to face with him.

"Um, I think I figured out whats been happening." Said Cedric nervously. He glanced up at Harry who was trying to inconspicuously fly closer to the two. Cho looked confused but hopeful as she saw him glance at Harry. "I normally wouldn't go along with the plans of someone who pranked me, but I think I can make an exception. Cho, would you go with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?" The crowd had fallen silent as the Hufflepuff so publicly asked her on a date.

"Yes!" She shouted quite excitedly before jumping off her broom and hugging a now grinning Cedric. "I would love to go with you!" The crowd around them started whistling and yelling congratulations, while Roger Davis yelled at them mockingly.

"If you are done trying to seduce my new seeker," he yelled, "I would like to get back to my try-outs. Harry," he yelled pulling his broom around to talk to the Boy-Who-Pranked, "you looked good out there but- WATCH OUT!" Roger suddenly pointed behind Harry with a urgent look.

Harry didn't have time to avoid the bludger that smashed directly into his face right as he turned to see what Roger was talking about. He also didn't feel the thirty foot drop onto the bleachers, or hear the screams that arose from the crowd.

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A/N

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

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Harry awoke to find himself floating weightlessly in a dark place. He was unsure of where he was, but it didn't seem like hell, or like death at all really. It seemed like a dream but a little off. He wondered when he fell asleep as he thought he had just pulled a great prank on Cedric.

The Boy-Who-Lived was pondering his sudden predicament when a large burst of light shone forth from the darkness in front of him. He was blinded for a second but found himself unable, or unwilling, to look away. His eyes seemed to adjust, as the light dimmed until it became just a single small ember. It glowed warmly as Harry sat watching it. He longed to move over to it for a closer look, drawn in by its mysterious warmth. How long passed like this he was unsure but an unexpected occurance brought back his focus.

A hand, thin and sickly, reached up from the darkness towards the small flame. It was soon followed by others, which moved to touch it. All the hands stopped within a breath of the ember that then began to glow brighter. Its light seemed to break apart and start flowing into the decrepit hands. Before his eyes the skeletal hands began to grow fuller and became human looking, save for one that turned into a large skeletal fist.

When the light faded, all the hands retreated into the darkness. Harry could see small flickers of red, blue, and bursts of sickly green moving further into the darkness. Harry and the unknown beings missed the fall of one stray spark from where the ember once was. It would fall deeper into the darkness below before ending up in the hands of another unfortunate soul.

The darkness blurred and changed into scenes he had only ever been able to vaguely remember from his dreams and nightmares. A giant king stood with an army of silver knights before charging towards a vast expanse of immense trees that spanned higher than the fog-like clouds above. They were being attacked by, or attacking, a swarm of frightening grey dragons. The king reached up behind his head as if holding a spear as the winged creatures flew closer. Suddenly, a great bolt of sparking lightning sprung into existence in his hand, which he then threw with great force towards the attacking dragons. It struck one in the neck to crack away its stoney armor. The knights around him too began to summon and throw these lightning spears, hundreds at a time into the storm of dragons. Soon Harry was looking at another dragon on a hill of its kins corpses, this one white with great tentacles for legs fighting alongside the king and his knights, mercilessly killing its own kind.

His vision faded to show a group of witches clothed in blue robes standing around a great fire. He was shown them performing some unknown spell, causing the bonfire in their midst to grow brighter, the flames now moving chaotically before filling his vision.

The flames faded to reveal a mass of skeletons, writhing together to form the visage of a large man holding a massive bone scythe. It chopped fiercely through the scales of the dragons, which would then begin to fade away into ash. Pestilence spread out from where it stood, crumbling and consuming many more dragons..

Harry realized they must be at war with them, over what Harry truly had no idea. Everything was very strange to him to be sure, but there was also a distant murmur of recognition somewhere in his mind. It was like seeing a legend you had heard often, as if he was watching Merlin battle Morgan le Fay. The very size and scope of both the battle and the place they fought were immense like a muggle movie or the illustrations in his magical history books. Harry knew no tree could be that big not to mention he could see no sky but the grey fog high above, or even an end to the trees in the distance.

The dream changed again to show the end of the battle. There was ash and fire everywhere caused the still burning corpses of the dragons. Time then seemed to speed up, showing the crumbling of the bodies into dust, and the approach of a vast ocean of water. It ran between the bottom of the trees filling up everything, even the smoking fissures that ran deep into the earth. Soon there was only the tiniest of ashy beaches poking up between some trees. It was then he found himself moving, going upwards, still watching the great lake below as grand tree trunks rushed past. Suddenly his vision was obscured by the grey fog followed by a moment of darkness. Light flooded back into his vision as he was now staring up towards a great sun. His vision still being directed by the dream his gaze was brought down to see a wild land stretching to the horizons. Below him sat a magnificent castle, dwarfing Hogwarts to the point it would be a broom closet in comparison. Around the castle sat an even larger city, stretching out in a massive circle. Surrounding that were large forests and lakes with the odd crumbling structure peaking out through the trees in places.

Despite the size of the place, even from a distance Harry thought it did not look like a city he would want to visit. Much of it was wild, looking overgrown by nature. A huge section was flooded from the inside as there was no water surrounding that edge of the city walls. There were countless signs of years and years of disrepair beyond even those things. Then there was the castle itself, sitting above the crumbling city as if above it's squalor. It was in perfect condition, the white and golden palace reflecting the sun beautifully. Most disturbing of all was the stillness. For a city that size he expected to see countless moving dots in the distance. Instead there was only carrion birds and what were likely the torn and worn banners of the city flapping in the wind. Harry, with only his little knowledge of magic and the world in general, quickly discerned that this place was cursed and to be avoided.

In the midst of studying the quiet city, he started to get pulled away again, this time towards a mountain hundreds of kilometers away. Below him the forests became a blur as its peaks rose higher and higher above him. Before he got there his vision started to fade once more. The final thing he saw was another large fortress built on the side of the mountain. He glimpsed for a moment what looked like corpses shambling around its many walls and rooftops. As he slipped back into sleep, he knew he wouldn't be forgetting his dreams for once.

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Harry's eyes snapped open, then quickly screwed back shut from the brightness of he place he woke up in. His head was pounding and it felt like his nose was on fire. Most of his right side also felt numb and stiff. With a groan, he opened his eyes slowly to find himself in the infirmary.

"Harry, you're awake!" Exclaimed the voice of his friend Luna, before he found his better feeling half wrapped in a hug. "How are you feeling?" She asked nervously after letting him go. It was obvious she had been very worried, as he could tell she had been crying, which was strange for the normally carefree girl.

"Feels like I got hit in the head with a bludger. Im assuming thats what happened?" Harry winced a little when he pictured it. He was happy it had knocked him out before he knew what was happening. Or more likely his memory of those few moments were knocked out of his head. What he did remember was the dream, which was still racing through his mind. Luna's response quickly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, one of the people trying out had hit it towards you. He wasn't trying to hit you from what I heard of his explanation but it was hard to hear him with all the yelling Roger was doing, not to mention we were also trying to get you up here to Madame Pomfrey. He might have said he would apologize in Charms tomorrow, but a Crikluk was making me cry so I may have misheard.

"It must have been Wayne, hes the only one in my year trying out. I guess I cant be too mad at him, but my head hurts like crazy. What happened after I fell?"

"You fell over quite far onto the bleachers. Madame Pomfrey said it was a miracle you didn't break your neck. You did break your right arm in two places and dislocated the shoulder, but she was able to fix those in a minute. She said the nose is more sensative than most parts of the body and might still be sore. You should also have a headache, which the potion to help would have conflicted with the ones to strengthen the bones."

"Yeah, its a killer but not unbearable. Im glad I'm okay though. That would not have been a great way to go." Harry said with a nervous chuckle, though he really was screaming inside. After both the near-death experience and the vivvid dream, he was feeling very shaken up. "Do you think I will be able to leave anytime soon?" He was anxious to go someplace private to analyze the dream and what it could possibly mean. He knew it was no normal dream and wasn't something to be ignored.

"She said tomorrow morning is the earliest, and only if you seem well enough."

"I feel well enough now, but I suppose I'm stuck here until then. How did things end with Cho and Cedric by the way?" Harry tried to quickly change the subject away from his injury. As much as he liked his friend caring about him it wasn't nice seeing her upset at the same time. She smiled a bit as she recalled what happened.

"They were both here for the first hour, but Pomfrey kicked them out after a while. Cedric said to tell you he would be getting revenge. I told him we would be waiting for him to make the next move."

"Im sure he will come up with something, but I doubt he could top your idea. It was perfect Luna." The young girl beamed at Harry from where she sat and then jumped up to embrace him in another tight hug.

"Im just glad you're ok." She said before pulling away. "I dont want you to ever get hurt again. Im not going to loose my best friend to something stupid like a stray ball."

"I cant promise anything, but Ill do my best to keep out of harms way. Thank you for caring Luna. You are one of the first people who ever really has."

"Harry, there are lots of people around you who care. The Professors, Dumbledore, the Twins, Cedric, and Cho are just a few. Everyone at the try-outs and even people who joined us on the way here came with to make sure you were okay."

"I suppose I cant argue with all that." Harry said, trying to supress a yawn. Luna easily noticed her friend was tired, and she herself was feeling tired from the busy day.

"Ok, we both need some sleep. Ill be back here before breakfast to pick you up." She said, giving him another hug.

"Sounds good, Luna. And really, thanks for everything." Luna then left with a smile and a quick wave directed at him as she went through the doors.

Harry was soon asleep, dreaming of a spark of white flame floating in a dark abyss...

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A/N

I hope thats both an accurate and unique description of the opening cutscene for Dark Souls. Feel free to tell me if theres anything I missed.

Thanks for reading,

Fumbls (the sniper/doctor)


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

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After a short stay in the infirmary to recover from his injuries Harry returned to classes feeling as well as could be expected. Word spread around the school of how Harry had cheated death so spectacularly. Surprisingly this lead to nearly as many acting suspicious towards him as there were people giving congratulations. From what he could gather there were people saying he must be some sort of monster to survive such a high fall. It was quite baffling as to why such a preposterous rumor could be taken so seriously to him and many of his friends but still the whispers remained. Of course Harry did his best to ignore them and spend his time with Luna exploring the castle after the rumor mill of the school ran its course. Luna and Harry were so caught up in their adventures they both tended to ignore the rest of the school when not in class. Many saw Harry's change in behavior as strange and it only furthered some of the distrust that began growing towards him. A lot of their classmates wanted to be close to the Boy-Who-Lived for his fame. When he started to shut himself off from most of his classmates this fueled their jealousy which rubbed off on others. Most of the rest just respected that he wanted to live a quiet life after getting to know him or didn't care about him at all. Only one of his dissenters was not too afraid of him to try anything however. As a result Draco often found himself in trouble with the somewhat intimidating Ravenclaw. The Dark Lord was very powerful and many instinctively felt that messing with Harry, even if he was only a baby when he defeated Voldemort, would be a bad idea. His long dark hair and quiet nature was also unnerving for those that faced him in the dueling club. This spread after Colin Creevey started recording his duels to show the rest of the school. With his hair back into a short tail to keep it out of his face nearly everyone knew about it now. Everyone who saw it said it made them shiver and feel uneasy, except for Luna who only seemed to think the way it absorbed light was pretty.

Recently many had even begun trying to get a rise out of him by poking fun of the strange mark. While such small jabs were not uncommon the conviction with which they had begun to say it, and the worried looks of those that heard them, made Harry start to think people thought he wasnt right in the head. However Harry was happy being with his new friend so much that all of these things barely brought his attention away from Luna or learning more about magic. His first dueling lesson was the longest time he spent away from her that year, also being his first step down a very long road.

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It had originally been scheduled for the day after the try-outs but had been postponed a week to allow time for him recover. Flitwick said that starting off still healing would be a "Silly waste of time" in a manner which caused Harry to laugh despite having been standing near Snape at the head table. The Potions Master sneered a bit before drinking the rest of his pumpkin juice and storming off. Luckily the old bat was leaving him alone in class for the most part, meaning he answered several questions every class and would be scrutinized thoroughly during every brew. It wasn't the most ideal situation but it went beyond a simple grudge. This went back to his parents and they both knew they would have to stand each other until something changed.

So he found himself entering the Charms classroom an hour after dinner on a Thursday. The bottom of the room was bare, leaving a decently sized dueling ring where his podium, chalk board, and display table usually sat. The short Professor was busily applying charms and enchantments on a few training dummies when the boy came in.

"Hello Professor." Harry greeted him to his back, causing him to interrupt his work.

"Ah, perfect timing Mr Potter. I was just finishing up the preperations." With a few waves of his wand his Professor closed several books on the last table still at the bottom and made them hover out of the way. "If you would please stand behind the line on the other side of the circle we can begin." Harry looked down closer at the large circle painted onto the floor to see what the shorter man meant. Flitwick stood behind a line on this half of the circle, and there was another parallel to it on the his own side. The boy quickly moved to stand behind his own after which the Professor began speaking again.

"Now then, I believe we are here to impart upon you some of the ancient knowledge and traditions of dueling. In order to do so, you must first...-"

Harry had stood for nearly twenty minutes listening to Flitwick talk about the history of dueling trying to enjoy the history lesson as much as possible. It had seemingly originated in Egypt in its first formal fashion where rivaling wizards owned by pharos would fight each other for the amusement of the Pharaoh and his entourage. It had changed drastically since then as one could guess but in general it was the practice of showing superiority over an opponent by fighting with magic. While the information shed some light on the history of wizards Harry had not learned in Binns boring classes, it was certainly a slight letdown to the boy. He had expected to be casting spells or at least see his Professor do some. Sadly he knew all there was to do was trust his Teacher to get him there when he was ready. Flitwick seemed to pick up on this, and brought his lecture to a close.

"So, as I am sure you were expecting there will be homework for these lessons. I will assign both a practical and a theoretical assignment each week. For this week I want you to study the general history and theory of dueling throughout the ages and require you to write a three foot report on it by next week." It was unsurprising for the Ravenclaw to not complain at the news they would be getting homework. The Lily is strong with this one, thought the Professor wisely. If it had been a student from another house he was sure a few groans would have been heard.

"As for the practical portion, I will show you three of the most universally known and used jinxes and hexes used in dueling. The first is Stupefy, which stuns and knocks out your opponent for a time or until a counter spell is cast. Then there are Expelliarmus and Petrificos, the disarming and body binding spells. The first of which will pull your opponents wand or anything else they are holding towards you while the second will cause whatever part of their body that was hit to become frozen. If you are ready, take out your wand and we may begin to practice." Again Flitwick began to lecture while also having Harry using his wand to practice the movements. Once he had both the correct movements and the proper pronunciation of the spells correct he started to try casting the spells at the training dummies set up. His first few casts produced nothing and even after he managed to produce a red stunner Flitwick could tell it would at best knock out a house cat. Harry was also certain he wouldn't be taking anyones wand despite Flitwick's praises on his ability to cast it. It was somewhat of a surprise that his aim turned out to be well above average for a beginner, though Harry had no idea. Flitwick noted Harry didn't miss once until the Professor charmed the dummies to move. He also picked up the spells at the usual pace for someone training at his age as he could only cast a limited amount of them before tiring and needing to recharge. While his magical core was not small it seemed to be of average strength for now. This concerned the man little as his own was considered average for most adult wizards but he felt it would be possible for himself to face Dumbledore himself down for a few minutes. The boy had graceful aim and a talent for chaining even the three simple spells into effective and quick combinations that would devastate opponents even several years older.

They spent an hour doing this, after which he gave Harry a daily excersize routine he would be required to keep up with. It was quite simple and basic, just a fast lap around the Quidditch pitch followed by push-ups and sit-ups every day. He was told how it would increase both his magical strength and give the expected advantages of making him physically stronger. While wizards enjoyed long lives due to the self-restorative nature of most magical beings, as well as making wizards generally thinner than muggles due to the increased calorie burn producing magical energy took. There were other ways for magic to strengthen ones body outside of the normal way of exercising with most revolving around dark magic, something he avoided telling the young man. Most wizards, in Britain especially, had no desire to be physically active besides Magical Law Enforcement, Quidditch players, and "licensed treasure hunters" which Flitwick referred to Ward Breakers as. It was not so much laziness as a lack of need for physical exertion when waving a wand does the job faster and better. Their society, like the muggles, was also fairly peaceful compared to other parts of the world. Having grown up doing light yard work Harry was a bit more accustomed to physical exertion than most of his peers. His lack of nourishment and proper medical care growing up did however cause his first few sessions of running to leave him feeling quite awful and aching in places he didn't know could. This would only spur him on to work harder on his fitness in the future.

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It seemed too short a time before a tired Harry had been released to go back to his dorm where he spent an hour thinking about the dreams he had continued to have. They had been getting frequent, showing him the long since decayed husk of the second fortress, which he realized now was a prison. It seemed he was following the life of one particular inmate but he could not be sure with all of them being featureless zombies. Most even just sat in quiet places or mumbled nonsense as they moved about. The one he thought he was following was one of the quiet ones, sitting alone in a cell overlooking a courtyard. For countless hours the person sat watching what happened through the bars without showing any indication of care or even acknowledgement. Every once in a while one of the other ragged prisoners would disappear in such a way that Harry felt a significant amount of time was passing in the dream. This was further supported by the rapid crumbling of the bricks in his dreams not to mention the growth of plant life.

Harry was at a loss for what to do as he didn't not want to get himself thrown into a nutter house nor did he want to worry his friends. Little did he know that while he was worrying about someone finding out, someone else was worrying about when he would finally let them..

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Harry and Luna continued to become the official "Loons" of the school as the year went on. They were often gone for most of the night and only showed up at Ravenclaw tower once or twice a day. Usually going back to the tower just meant he would be changing clothes or meeting Luna to leave.

Outside of classes they were rarely seen apart and that was only on the occasions they could even be found. The pair had a habit of disappearing when they didn't want to be bothered even seeming to vanish into thin air at times. This caused the rumor mill of Hogwarts to run wild with stories about the two. Everything from tales of young romance, dark rituals, and secret plots involving an ancient family of vampires. Few really listened to the normally inaccurate information, but for most the fact remained that their behavior was odd. Most of the student population just ignored the issue as there was little they could do about it, and it bothered them little anyway. Those that were considered their friends still received frequent visits, especially the Twins, Cho, and Cedric.

Hermione Granger, resident bookworm of Gryffindor, could also be seen talking to the duo on occasion, but only when the two couldn't find a book in their private library. Hermione was almost always in the main one so it was unavoidable for them to meet at some point. She proved to be frustrating in anything other than small doses, but otherwise was quite kind. They both tried to break her of her overbearing nature and know-it-all attitude but she was too far gone. When confronted about her snobby nature the girl had refused to talk to them for days after denying any such thing.

While their teachers also noticed the changes none saw any reason to intervene. This of course did not include Professor Snape who continued to treat the boy with disdain. They were both near the top of their years and seemed very happy to be in school to the Faculty. As many of them had been quite fond of both Lilly and James it was nice to see their son also finding happiness at Hogwarts.

However, those that disliked the Boy-Who-Lived started to grow in number. Despite the claims of their parents many students were still brought up to believe in blood purist ideals and that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had the right idea. While some were open about it, most kept a neutral appearance at their parents request. A sizable community also built up against Luna mostly comprised of girls. He was well known by his famous, intelligent, and rumors of the Potters being quite well off had been around for years. This all lead to a generation of disappointed witches who grew up worshipping the Boy-Who-Lived wondering why he didn't seem interested in them at all.

One snake in particular disliked the dark haired boy. Showing some true Slytherin qualities, the young heir was waiting for his chance to ruin who he saw as his rival. Unfortunately, fate seemed to think it was about time to strike once more into the boys life.

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Walking down to the great Hall, having left Professor Binns lecture on yet another bloody goblin battle a bit early, Harry suddenly heard a strange voice. It was quiet, and sounded eager for something. The noise sent a chill down Harry's spine.

"Blooooood... Eaattt... Sssssmelll... Fooooddd!" whispered the raspy voice. It seemed to come from all around him, moving towards where he had just come from, before disappearing down the hallway. Harry simply shrugged before carrying on his way to dinner. Head down in thought Harry didn't stop until he suddenly stepped into a puddle of water in the middle of the hall.

"Wha-" he started as he looked around to see where it came from. He was speechless as only inches from his face was the body of Mrs Norris strung up by her tail from a torch sconce. He quickly grabbed the cat lifting it so the rope it hung by went slack while trying to yell. In his panic all he managed were a few panicked squeaks from his small vocal cords. Fingers fumbling to untie the knot, he started tearing into the rough rope in desperation to free the poor animal.

Harry realized moments too late that the knot was tied with magic and couldn't be undone. He was just gaining his voice back to start yelling for help when one of the doors near him opened to let out a flood of students eager to go to dinner. In seconds, Harry went from alone to being surrounded by dozens of students that began to gather around the scene. Harry was shocked for a moment before then started frantically asking for help from his classmates. Most couldn't hear him over the sudden burst of chatte, and the few that did were not about to move to his aid.

"You're done for, Potter!" Yelled a smug looking Draco. He stood with several other Slytherins who also looked quite pleased with the situation.

"Quite, Mr Malfoy!" Interjected an angry looking Professor Mcgonagall who was just breaking through the barrier of students. "Everyone but Mr Potter is to continue to the Great Hall! If I find any of you didnt proceed there immediately you will be serving detention with me for a month. Go!" It took only moments for the crowd of students to disperse. There was no challenging the Scottish woman's authority. Once they were alone she turned to give Harry an accusing glare

"Did you have anything to do with this?" She asked sharply.

"O-of course not! I was just walking to the great hall-"

"And what were you doing out of class?"

"Well, I- I left Professor Binns early, b-but I swear I had nothing to do with this!"

"We shall see about that. You are to go straight to my office and not leave. Someone will come get you when I wish to talk to you further."

"Yes ma'm." Harry replied quietly, before moving into her classroom a few doors away.

"And do not think you will be avoiding punishment for skipping class." She added before storming out of the room.

He sat in her office quietly, concerned about what would happen. Of course he had no clue as to who had why the grumpy cat but he knew a lot of suspicion would come his way. Being caught at the crime of the scene holding the body in front of dozens of students and a professor would assuredly lead to accusations left and right. He was certain the whole school knew by now and at the very least it would long before he got to share his side.

When Professor Mcgonagal returned he was unsurprised to see Dumbledore and Flitwick follow behind through the door. They all stood behind Minerva's desk looking down at Harry and saying nothing for a moment. Dumbledore stared blankly at Harry while Flitwick seemed unsure and refused to meet the boys gaze.

"Luckily," started the still angry looking Deputy Headmistress, "it seems that Mrs Norris is still alive, though she will remain in a petrified state until a way to reverse her condition is found. What we would like to know," she paused, looking at her colleagues before glaring back at Harry, "is WHY you think you could do something like this!"

"W-what? But P-Professor! I didn't do it, I told you I was-"

"We have looked at the scene and determined you were the only one there. The time of the attack was less than a minute before you were caught and it is well known that you are antagonistic towards the poor creature for her interrupting your continual wandering. Therefore we have deemed that you are to be temporarily suspended until further evidence is found to support or refute the case against you."

"No, you cant do that, this isn't-"

"It is more than fair, Mr Potter. The only reason for that is your celebrity status, which I am sad to say Severus was right about. You have let it cloud your judgement and I can easily say this is one of the most despicable things a student has ever done during my time here as a Professor. If you admit to the crime and tell us how to reverse this curse we will consider not snapping your wand, which would be a fair sentence and exactly what you can expect at the end of all this if you don't tell us now."

"I didn't do it, and I don't know how to undo whatever happened to her! Please, you-"

"Just as I thought." She interrupted, then giving a weary sigh. "Fine then. You are not to attend class and are limited to being in either Ravenclaw tower, the Library, or the Great Hall until we tell you otherwise. All of your classwork shall be done in private and if any of us catch you where you are not supposed to be there will be further punishment. Now leave and think about how you will apologize for this disgusting prank."

"Yes, Professor." Muttered Harry solemnly. It was a long walk back up to the tower, after which he spent the night and following morning in his room staring at the ceiling.

In less than a day Harry's future had become very uncertain. His mind raced with the images of his classmates glares and whispers when he had entered the common room. When he did finally sleep he was not comforted with rest but plagued with more dreams of the crumbling prison and decaying inmates.

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A/n

Thats it for this chapter. If anyone hasn't heard of PlagueOfGripes on Youtube I STRONGLY recommend checking out his insanely thorough walkthrough of Dark Souls. If you aren't ready for 40+ hours of watching someone play a video game then he also has a hilarious cartoon that runs through the basics of the plot.

Im feeling good about my revisions so far. Of course if you have anything to say please let me know.

As always, thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Snape might kind of compliment Harry. Maybe...

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Harry woke with a start, wand already in hand. It glowed faintly and illuminated the abandoned study he had recently begun to occupy. Seeing nothing out of place he relaxed slightly and settled back into the corner he had been sleeping in.

"Getting loopy I am. Cant even tell dream from reality anymore." He muttered quietly to himself. Yet another night of lucid dreams had ended with him being startled awake.

For the last month Harry had dreamt every night of the hollow-looking prisoner. While the man did not move or do anything at all he was staring down into the courtyard below and so Harry saw what he saw. He had even learned a few things about the place and its residents so far, not to mention the still noticeable passing of time. Harry did not know if it was a good or a bad thing that things were slowly changing.

As for what he had learned it was first obvious that those who resided in the decrepit prison were either walking corpses or large pudgy monsters. Harry had begun thinking of the giant things that seemed to guard the place as "Dudley" when it came to mind, which did little to reduce the terror he felt at the same time. He had seen the demonic warden smash countless of the undead prisoners with a giant club it carried. All this, along with everything else he saw of the land, confirmed to him that some dreadful curse had destroyed whatever society once resided here. Why he saw the happenings of this prison he did not yet know but he felt that there was something important about the particular inmate his dreams seemed to revolve around.

The man he followed looked to have kept some of his thought processes as he did not react aggressively towards everything he saw like the others. He was expecting to continue watching the man sit and stare at the stones below for eternity before one night he was shocked by the cadaver suddenly standing from its seated position against a wall breaking away from the lichen that grew around his body. Slowly they began to wander around the prison, eventually seeming to be looking for a way out as it went from door to door trying its best to wrestle open the rusted iron gates to no avail. Now the only place the stranger could go was through a giant set of doors that lead to where the monster waited. It seemed the man wished to continue no further when he simply sat down at a small bonfire in the courtyard outside the door and had been for several boring dreams now. Whatever fed the flames kept it lit without any sign of help from the man, though Harry felt it must be fueled by magic. What startled him awake this night was when suddenly another undead, dressed as a soldier with crumbling armor and a rusty sword, jumped from a rooftop and hacked the man Harry was watching in the neck. It was then Harry awoke to find himself in the corner he fell asleep in.

Deciding it wasnt worth trying to get back to sleep he stood up and stretched while quietly yawning. Shaking out his limbs he went and peered out the door looking closely either way. His stomach growled at him telling him where to go. Quickly he exited towards the left, striding carefully towards where he knew the kitchens could be found. As he cautiously navigated the halls there was time to think over some of the events of the school year, which he did several times a day.

After being accused of attacking Filches cat most of the school hadn't actually minded that much. The cat, and its owner, were not exactly favorites of the student body. However his teachers had begun to treat him with disdain, though Snape hadn't changed at all surprisingly. Even Flitwick looked at the boy uncertainly and had informed him that his dueling lessons had to be put on hold. Harry had not heard otherwise and didn't expect one anytime soon.

While having the teachers like you was nice he found it really mattered little. He simply showed up to class, did all his assignments, and otherwise ignored his teachers. His friends had not turned on him for the most part but there were some who stopped talking to him. Again it mattered little to him, as he knew being alone would be something he could handle. Those friends that stayed by his side were more than enough for one that grew up with none.

The day before Christmas break things once again changed.

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Dinner had just been let out when someone burst through the doors of the great hall. A third year Hufflepuff was bent over in the doorway breathing heavily from what must have been a run halfway across the castle. Catching his breath he proceeded to run towards the head table.

"Theres been an attack!" He yelled, causing the room to break out into raucous conversation.

"Quiet!" Yelled the Headmaster in a commanding voice. Nothing but the boy running could be heard in the silence afterwards. The messenger made it to the Professors who talked quietly with him for a few moments before Dumbledore and Professor Snape rushed out the teachers side entrance. Deputy Headmistress Mcgonagall moved to stand at the front of the hall.

"Prefects are to gather their entire class and bring them to your respective dorms. I want every student accounted for within the next fifteen minutes. Your heads of houses will be along shortly to check on your safety. Now go!"

Harry moved with the rest of the Ravenclaws to the tower, wondering where Luna was that she missed dinner. Most of the Claws were inside when Harry got to the door which then promptly slammed shut in his face.

"Wha-" he started in surprise. The bronze knocker then spoke in its normal voice, but instead of asking a riddle this time the bird gave an unexpected message.

"Only members of House Ravenclaw may enter the tower until the school lockdown has been lifted. Return to your own common room until a staff member retrieves you."

Harry stared dumbly at the door but stepped out of the way. When those behind him walked up the door opened to allow them in. A few entered giving him confused looks as they passed. A seventh year who was a member of the dueling club and friendly to Harry held the door open and beckoned him in. However the older Claw was pulled inside by an invisible force and the door slammed shut once again as Harry drew near it. Confused and defeated Harry stepped out of the way and let the rest of his house go inside. Before long he was left sitting on the stairs outside looking worriedly down the stone steps. He was nervous for a moment when footsteps started making their way up but Professor Flitwick soon cam into view looking serious. He stopped upon seeing Harry which caused his brow to furrow, immediately making Harry nervous again.

"Wha-" was once again all Harry was able to ask before being interrupted.

"Not another word, Mr Potter. Wait here and do not move." Was all Flitwick said before entering the Ravenclaw common room. After a minute he exited back out and rushed past the boy. "Follow me." He said curtly before starting down the steps.

Harry followed him down to the grand staircase and through several wings of the school into a section that sat unused. They rounded one final corner where Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

Covering the walls, floor, and ceiling was blood. So much blood that Harry felt sick just thinking about what must have happened. Immediately he knew they thought he had done this but had no idea where to even begin trying to refute them. Dumbledore stood in the middle of it all waving his wand and chanting while lights glowed around him. "What the hell happened? Why are you showing me this?" He exclaimed, taking a step back and putting a hand to his mouth.

"You know very well that is paint Mr Potter." Said a red faced Flitwick who stood before him. "NEVER would I EVER think one of my students could do something like this, but to your own friend?! I want EVERYTHING, and I want it NOW!" Shouted the Charms Master. He may have been short, but Harry was cowering away from the sheer power the man put behind his voice.

"W-what do you mean? Paint? What happened to my friends! Who was it, are they-"

"Perhaps," interrupted Dumbledore who had moved next to Flitwick, "we should ask the boy some questions. We are not yet sure yet of his guilt. Harry," he turned towards Harry speaking with a grave tone of voice, "where were you before dinner?"

"What? I was studying with Luna like normal. Then we started going to dinner but she left a notebook behind and went back to- NO! WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!" He suddenly yelled panic seizing control over his brain. His breathing grew frantic and heavy while his heart started pounding loudly in his ears. The only person he hadn't seen at dinner was Luna, or at least anyone he had cared to notice missing. She had to be fine when she left, giving him a hug before skipping away down the hall. What would want to harm the innocent girl, who danced to class and wore a smile even while she slept?

"Mr Potter, Ms Lovegood is not physically injured or at risk of being so more than Mrs Norris, for the time being. Currently she rests in the Hospital Wing under the influence of a very powerful Petrification curse. The only one as strong I have ever seen was before Halloween when we suspect you used the very same unknown curse on Mr Filches pet. Do you see why you have been brought here now?"

"You think I attacked my own best friend!? I wouldn't ever hurt Luna in a million years! I want to see her right now!"

"That is enough!" Interrupted Flitwick. "You have already been permanently removed from house Ravenclaw by my authority as head of house. Until the evidence is compiled and studied you will be a ward of Hogwarts castle. You are not to attend any classes until further notice and will eat all of your meals in the kitchens. Furthermore your wand will be confiscated until it is either snapped or your innocence is proven."

"Fine, do whatever you want! Im going to make sure Luna is okay and I'm not going to stand here and be blamed for this."

"You will do no such thing! If you so much as step foot in the hospital wing I will personally cast you outside the wards into the depths of the forbidden forest. Do I make myself clear?" The icy tone and hard look on Flitwicks eye told him that arguing would likely see him suddenly surrounded by trees and dark creatures.

"Where should I go then?" Harry asked, defeated and feeling like a cry. He hadn't done so in a long time but the thought of loosing Luna was more than his mind could handle.

"There are quarters on the seventh floor waiting for you. You may read from whatever Madame Prince allows you to but otherwise are expected to spend your time in your room or away from other students. Go now before I forget myself and give you the punishment you deserve."

Harry did start to finally cry silently after he turned around. He caught Dumbledore say "-easier until we know more-" but cared little that the Headmaster was not as sure of his guilt. The rest of the long walk to find his room was spent crying and worrying about what would happen next

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Following the second attack, Harrys life continued to spiral downward. He didn't talk to another student for five days until accidentally running into a fifth year Ravenclaw. He gave Harry a look as if he were a disgusting bug before pulling out his wand and casting a severely painful stinging hex to his head and spent the rest of the day with a splitting headache. He realized quickly after interacting with a few more students that everyone though he was a lunatic who had attacked his best friend. He was lucky if they didn't try to curse him on sight.

While he didn't know the details of how Luna was doing he took the Headmasters word that she would recover when the potions to cure Mrs Norris could be made. He knew there was nothing he could do and so tried to ignore the urge to sneak in under his invisibility cloak. While it was an amazing tool he didn't want to test the power of both Dumbledore and Hogwarts nor the wrath of the Charms Professor.

The only thing one could say was a positive, if you could call it that, was a brief meeting with Professor Snape. They ran into each other during his second week of Harry's solitude.

"Nothing better to do than wander the halls, Mr Potter? I though you were intelligent enough to at least be trying to find the real culprit, but it seems I was wrong."

"Y-You know I'm innocent?" Harry had asked, almost as shocked as he had been to see the hallway smeared with blood.

"I find it highly unlikely that someone with even your poor level of intelligence would come up with something so obvious. Perhaps I was wrong?"

Snape had then sped off down the hallway, cloak billowing as always. While it was far from anything comforting, it meant that at least someone could see he was innocent. Sadly it seemed that Snape was the only one. Everyone, including Cedric and the Twins, would try to hex him on sight. Fred and George were some of the worst, finding him no matter where he went and doing horrible things to him. He tried his best to proclaim his innocence to his peers but stopped after he realized nobody wanted to listen to him. His days were reduced to hoping the Twins were busy and reading from whatever books he could find. He found that while Madame Pince would only give him fiction novels and some historical books, the private library he and Luna discovered was still accessible. Or at least nobody noticed him using it yet.

While probably only a fraction the size of the main library it still held several hundred volumes. There was a good variety of magical literature, allowing the already studious boy to devour information during his many hours of solitude. He felt that he was keeping up with the level of learning his classmates must have been if only somewhat different material as he focused on trying to find out more about petrification. If he had been more involved with the rumors of the school he might have realized sooner that Slytherins monster was a Basilisk and was being set loose upon the school. He also tried to study from some more advanced books but without a wand he could do little. There was one book on how one could learn wandless magic though Harry made little progress even after two months of study. He was unperturbed, as the book detailed that it would take years for all but abnormally powerful wizards to get even a feather to float, while he already gotten one to shake a few times.

When a third attack occured, leaving a first year Gryffindor petrified as well, Harry was the first to be blamed. Again he tried to explain his innocence. Instead of listening, it seemed both Mcgonagall and Flitwick were only more frustrated by the lack of hard evidence needed to convict him. He was almost expecting the fourth attack when it happened, this time leaving another Ravenclaw in the hospital wing petrified. That time he was nearly thrown out immediately but Headmaster Dumbledore stopped his removal from the grounds. There was no evidence to suggest Harry had been there for any attack either than the first. Since he was always alone there was nobody to prove he was elsewhere. It surprised him that he was not put under constant surveillance and it would not be until much later that he would learn he actually was.

With the next attacks came an increase of what Harry bitterly referred to as "Harry Hunting". It was much the same as the game Dudley used to play with his friends, but instead of just his fat cousin and lame friends there was a school full of witches and wizards after him. He was fortunate to catch the Twins off guard one day, trying to spy on them and see how they kept finding him. While he did not know what the paper they were using was or how it worked he was able to steal it and hide it in what he was beginning to see as "his" library.

School was entering its last four weeks when Harry found himself walking to the kitchens one cold night, muttering about "those damned weasley's" and far away prisons...

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A/N

Thanks for your eyeballs. You can have them back now.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Things happen!

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"Where are my preyy... Sssssssoo hungry..."

Harry continued to follow the hissing voice down the dim hallways. He was sure it was the same voice he had heard right before the first attack and could be the key to discovering the truth behind the attacks. It had first started coming at him from behind a few minutes ago while he made his way towards the private library. Upon turning around to see nothing in the hallway with him he smartly started listening to the walls. When he put his ear up to the cold stone there was a faint scraping sound accompanying the voice.

"Home ssssoon... Eat prey then..." Caught his attention. He quickly determined that whatever it was it was dangerous.

As the voice and rough sliding sound subsided, he continued down the halls after it. The owner of the voice seemed to draw out its s' in a way that made Harrys spine crawl, and gave him some idea as to what type of monster he would be facing. It occurred to him that notifying one of the professors would be a good idea, but from the sound of things it would be too late by the time he convinced one to even listen.

He came to one corner where the voice seemed to stop. He tried his best to listen for it, but didn't hear anything but his own heartbeat. He looked down the hallway where the voice disappeared seeing only one door nearby. Too curious to hold himself back and believing he may have found his first clue as to who was really behind the attacks, Harry walked over and opened it. For a moment he considered leaving to look for a teacher but realized if this thing was planning to eat soon it might be too late.

He was confused to see that it was a bathroom. At one of the sinks was, of all people, Hermione Granger leaning down towards the piping underneath.

"Open" she spoke to it. Her voice was strange, reminding him of the voice he had been following. His eyes grew wide as the faucet seemed to break off and expand, suddenly becoming a large dark hole. Before Harry could say anything Hermione jumped down the pipe leaving behind only the faint sound of her clothes sliding against its slick walls and a muffled thud soon after. Thinking fast the black haired boy dashed towards the hole and jumped in the pipe after her before it could close.

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Minerva Mcgonagal was having, without a doubt, her worst year since the last war.

Three students, including one of her own Gryffindors, were in the hospital wing because of the child that came from her two favorite pupils. While both Severus and Professor Sprout assured her the potions to reverse the curse would be ready in a weeks time it was still heartbreaking for the old woman to see those she was supposed to protect lying motionless in bed.

Possibly worse was the the young Potter falling into darkness, if only because his victims would hopefully make a full recovery. The proud Scottish woman would never admit it but had been unnerved by the boy since she first met him, even before recognizing who he was at the boats last year. Something about that disturbing black hole on his forehead made her squeamish and she rarely looked at it seeing as the boy was otherwise quiet and kind to everyone. When she discovered him holding the stiff body of Ms Norris all of her fears about the boy seemed to be true.

With each attack the boy seemed to only grow smarter in his plans as there was nothing to indicate he had been at any other attack. She lost track of how many times she petitioned for the child to be removed from the grounds and his wand broken but Dumbledore continued to defend the boy until there was more proof. Much of her free time had been spent trying to follow the boy to catch him in the act this past month. However even when she could locate the elusive brat he would disappear after a few minutes as if he was made of air. She had even went to the Weasely Twins, in utmost confidence, and asked them to keep an eye on the boy through whatever means at their disposal. Even with their help there was no evidence of him being up to anything. Soon even the twins couldn't find him anymore and it looked as if the boy wouldn't see justice until it was too late and a student died.

Frustrated and drained, she took another drink of her favorite Scottish Firewhiskey. Seeing the now empty glass she opened the bottle and poured another. It was not long before she was asleep at her desk, dreaming of a terrible new dark lord with black hair and green eyes...

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Flitwick had never been much of a drinker. Even when he was young, the potent liquid held little appeal to him. Dueling, and eventually Charms, had been the focus of his life. Of course there was always special occasions, and the past month had become one.

Two of his claws were hospitalized, which concerned and scared him deeply, but the knowledge they would soon recover eased much of that pain. Thinking of Harry on the other hand was now often followed by a shot of Goblin Rye.

Filius had been ecstatic to have the famous young man as one of his Claws. He turned out to be brilliant like his mother, whom he had often wished was sorted into his house. When he discovered the young mans passion for dueling and the defense of others in general he felt he finally had a chance to help repay the debt he owed Lilly and James. They had, after all, saved him from being tortured to death by the Dark Lord and his followers after being kidnapped during the first war.

Starting the dueling club up again was his first move to see if the boy would have potential, as well as help prepare his students for the next war he felt was coming. He was only mildly surprised to see the boy pick the art up quickly, dodging spells gracefully and casting with aim better than most adult witches and wizards. His quick grasp of spells and tactics only confirmed to the short man that personally teaching the boy was a good idea.

It had brought him quite a bit of happiness when the boy accepted his offer to teach him. Harry showed great potential after their first lesson, beyond what the man even hoped. He remained neutral in his response to the boys rapid growth not wanting to either put him down or build up his confidence. It broke his heart to see what the boy had become.

After the first attack on the cat he was quite simply disappointed the boy would take his pranks so far. He had quickly decided to postpone their lessons until he felt sure Harry could be trusted. Upon seeing the lifeless body of sweet little Luna in the hallway covered in fake blood he had snapped. Immediately he cast the only spell as a head of house he had never hoped to cast and banished the boy from his house. It would have been from the school if Dumbledore had not intervened, and continued to do so after the next attacks. Despite his and Minerva's repeated attempts to throw the boy out the Headmaster used his authority to keep the boy at the school. Filius was also conscious of the boys celebrity status, much as he disliked it, and knew that disposing of the boy without evidence would likely see him loose his job. Overall the boy now disgusted him, and he took some pleasure in seeing Harry get his comeuppance . He was well aware of the school wide hunting of the Boy-Who-Lived. It was his hopes that the pressure would get the boy to confess but it only lead to him becoming a shadow in the hallways. Filius had not seen the boy in some time now, nor had many of his coworkers and students.

With a sigh, he finished off the last of his current bottle. Filius Flitwick soon joined his colleague in the dream world, though he was dueling an older and more powerful Harry in his dreams. It was a loosing battle for him, ending with his own painful death before the dream started again...

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Dumbledore had not been sober for so long in almost twenty years. While he kept it a secret and hid it well, nobody suspecting the potency of his beloved lemon drops. He normally kept himself in a state of inebriation to make things interesting after living for so long. It was fairly simple to make those around him see his exuberant attire and general tomfoolery as the quirkiness of a wise old wizard. While he normally found himself quite capable of dealing with things in that state, the current events demanded his full attention.

Dumbledore had looked over the evidence and studied many branches of magic he had not looked at in many years but could still not discover the truth behind the attacks on his students. To him Harry was one of the least likely suspects but still the only one they had. While he was most assured of the Potter Heir's innocence, the possibility of another Tom Riddle on his hands was too much to ignore. The possibility prevented him from completely writing Harry off as innocent, as much as he hoped his fears were misplaced.

Several things about Harry made him an anomaly. First was simply his continued existence. It perturbed the old wizard as to how Harry had survived that night at Godrics Hollow, not to mention what affect the dark curse sign on his forehead had on the boy. Unbeknownst to others Dumbledore had spent a large amount of time studying the black hole and could find absolutely nothing other than it seemed to be attached to both his body and soul. His initial assumption was that Tom had left a piece of his own soul behind in a failed attempt to make a horcrux but he could find no trace of another soul within Harry.

Most interesting, or perhaps just simply perplexing, was his inability to gleam anything from the boys mind. While he normally disliked using the power he held in such ways he felt it was necessary to disprove the boys involvement with the attacks. However, upon entering the boys mind he found nothing. Not a single thought, even when the boy was talking and had to be thinking. Further study revealed no new information about his curse and he could find no reference to anyone having such a powerful form of natural occlumency.

Siting in his office, pondering the predicament, he suddenly felt a twinge from the wards telling him that several students had left the grounds at once. In a moment he was gone, sending a warning to all the staff members that there had likely been another attack.

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A/N

Next time: Chamber of Secrets secrets revealed!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

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Unlike many other children, Harry had missed out on growing up in a comforting household. Wether because of their fear of magic or parental instinct his foster parents had never taken to physical abuse against Harry. However they made it a point to avoid spending time with the strange boy. Not only did they despise the unnatural magic that ran in the boys veins but the very thought of the strange mark on his forehead sent shivers down their spines. When he was young and did not understand their feelings Vernon would often yell at the boy to leave them alone, sending him to his cupboard under the stairs. Petunia did her best to be civil with her sisters child at times. Ultimately she would keep the boy busy doing chores around the house like cooking and caring for her beloved roses. It became her own way of trying to make the child normal. When Dudley started to bully Harry some part of them enjoyed it, something which their son picked up on and took as encouragement.

This all ended with a young Harry entering the magical world having never given thought to many of the basic concepts children learn growing up. Fortunately he gained a humble nature and looking for the good in others among numerous other attributes that made him who he was. Of course with these came shortcomings that many would take for him being disturbed. Love, while being something he dreamed of, was foreign to him. Harry also never learned to limit himself with things, always having a seemingly endless amount of time since he rarely left home. Whatever books and papers he found were devoured for information. Chores were done meticulously even to the point of obsession. Finally, and most importantly, being the boy who beat death it was strange that the child himself had never actually given the concept any thought. He was of course aware that it happened to everyone, but had never thought about what happened afterwards or what it meant to him.

So as he stood staring at the massive snake set only a moment from striking he knew that he was going to be killed and realized that he had no idea what this would mean. His heart beat faster than ever before as his body dumped every chemical it could into his bloodstream causing time to slow. Sadly in these brief moments of broken reality all he could wonder was if anyone would miss him. Of course there was little time to worry about this as the snake struck fast and bit off the boys head.

Immediately the only thing he felt was a strange weightlessness soured by a sensation of standing. Numerous other unnatural sensations made him uneasy as his consciousness came back. While at first the place he found himself in was completely black this then seemed to melt away to its opposite in the spectrum of colors. Everything was bright white as far as he could see, causing him to close his eyes again for a second and then squint while they adjusted. However when he tried to do so he found that while he felt his eye lids close there was no change in what he saw as he adjusted to the light. It was not long before he recognized the place he was in as a small park he used to play at when he was eight. There was nothing in the distance he normally would have seen nor were there the vibrant colors remembered from years ago. His mind brought back the memories of how happy he had been to find it twelve blocks away, just far enough that Dudley or any of his friends wouldn't be looking for him. Dudley and three of his friends had eventually followed him one day. He would never forget being dragging him back home with ropes tied around his wrists behind their bicycles while he tried to run. Nor the stern shouting from Vernon that lasted for hour or being sentenced to bed without dinner for supposedly ruining his perfectly good clothes. Dudley had of course been congratulated for stopping his naughty cousin and bring him home.

Nothing happened for a few moments as these memories came back besides the gentle swaying of the swings in an in invisible breeze. Harry, having had no time to deal with being dead, was feeling abnormally relaxed. Somewhere in the back of his mind more good memories floated to the surface, such as a butterfly landing on his hand or laughing with Luna on the Express. They continued even after his full attention was brought back to his surroundings.

"Hello Harry." Said a womans warm voice behind him. Immediately he knew the voice must belong to his mother. Something deep down in his soul could feel the love emanating from through the voice. Turning around he saw she stood only a few feet away, red hair and green eyes like his own standing out against the single colors of the landscape. The light summer dress she wore was made of simple white cloth and she wore no shoes on her feet which stood in the playgrounds sand. Her hands were clasped in front of her working around each other in a nervous fashion while she stared down at him.

"M-mom?" Asked Harry tentatively. He had of course seen pictures of her before but was still awed by the woman before him. For a moment he thought that death might not be so frightening after all.

"Yes, its me." She replied, also hesitating to speak with her son whom she felt had been abandoned by her and James. They both knew it was fortunate neither let this guilt keep them in the world of the living as ghosts. There was a brief pause as the two looked at eachother, both unsure as to the others feelings. Any worry either party felt melted away when they both ran forward compulsively and gave each other tight hugs. Harry began to sob even, followed soon by the gentle weeps of his mother.

"Hey, doesnt the father get a hug? Or has Sirius been telling you I smell?" Their hug broke away for Harry to see the man introducing himself. Many had told him how much he resembled his father, but the facial features were nearly identical and he swore the unruly hair was the same as his.

"DAD!" Yelled the boy, who jumped excitedly from his mothers arms to hug his father. James lifted his son up and spun him around several times before bringing him down into another hug. Lilly laughed at her husbands exuberance as she took a seat at a nearby bench.

"I cant tell you how great it is to see you son, though I would prefer under different circumstances." Harrys smile shut off quickly as he remembered that he died.

"Oh no! Im dead, aren't I?" Harry's fearful expression broke their hearts again. Even having dealt with it themselves they knew their conversation would not be an easy one.

"Yes you are, dear." Lily told him delicately. "But its not quite that simple it seems." James guided his son over and sat him down between him and his wife.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked after sitting down.

"You're immortal, son!" Exclaimed James with a smile that died quickly after seeing the serious look on his wifes face.

"What your father means to say is that you aren't going to stay dead." Harry was shocked by this statement and responded a bit more sarcastically than he meant to.

"So I'm going to wake back up after being eaten by a giant snake?" James laughed at his sons cheek before Lily cut him off with an elbow to the ribs.

"We aren't sure, dear. We only know that your spirit will be returning to your body soon. There is some strange connection your soul has to your body that keeps them from separating."

"Like I said, you're immortal!" James cut in with another smile. This time even Lilly couldn't resist smiling back.

"So im going back? How long do I have here with you?"

"Only a short time and then we will need to part. We wont be able to see you again until you truly pass to this side, but we will be waiting whenever it is time for you to truly join us." Harry suddenly felt even lighter than before, and noticed everything started to get fuzzy.

"Lilly, he's fading back! Harry, we only know a little bit about your life, but as your father I want to say I'm proud of you. You've done well with what those awful muggles have given. Im also quite happy to see my son has snagged himself a charming young witch before I could!"

"W-what! No, we're just friends dad!"

"Oh stop teasing him before you leave scars." Lily cut in with a laugh and as she pulled them both into a warm hug. "Goodbye, Harry. We love you and cant wait to see you again."

"Bye mum, by dad. I love you too!" He could almost feel his consciousness being pulled away.

"Goodbye son, tell Sirius and Remus that we miss them!" James yelled out right as Harry's vision began to darken and turn black...

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Harry woke once again feeling cold and cramped, wondering where he was and who Sirius and Remus were. His eyes cracked open to see he was back in the classroom he slept in the night before which was at least somewhat better than the gummy innards of a snake. Harry checked the time, and then date, to discover that he had traveled backwards to bring him to just when before he first woke up. He took a moment to close his eyes and put his head in his hands as he tried to wrap his head around what had happened.

Merlin, what is going on? He asked himself. Have I finally gone off the deep end? Maybe that was just another strange dream. With a snort he stood up and realized there was only one way to find out. I'll need to go find that snake again first.

While he would have otherwise gone to a teacher for help in such a situation he was certain only Dumbledore would listen. Reaching him would take fifteen minutes or more, followed by whatever time it would take for them to find that bathroom again. He didn't know if Hermione was a willing participant in the attacks but he knew it would be too late for her by the time he found help if she wasn't. It was an easy decision for him to creep out into the hallway and begin making his way back to the unused washroom. This time the hissing voice and muted rasp of scales sliding through the walls was far more distant. Keeping an eye out for others he picked up his pace.

He arrived without event at the girls water closet and walked inside. Finding nobody he began to start thinking maybe it had all been a dream. That was until he crouched down to peer at the piping beneath the sink from before. Engraved on the pipe was an S made out of a snake in a manner similar to that of the House Slytherin logo.

"Open." Harry commanded the rusting pipe. Unlike before the pipe did not expand to create a secret passageway. Harry may not wear the Ravenclaw crest anymore but it did not take much for him to figure out the puzzle. He knew lives could be in danger and he needed to be fast. The final piece of the riddle that helped him was the engraved snake. He remembered Salazar Slytherin had been able to talk to snakes, common knowledge at Hogwarts. Likely the crazy bastard hid that giant beast down there for some reason that the other founders would not have approved of. It also made him realize he too must be able to speak it considering he was able to understand both Hermione and the Basilisk. With a little trial and error, he soon hissed a gentle "open" to the pipes. They quickly expanded to reveal the large hole from before which he promptly jumped in.

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Harry woke once again to the silent room that night in frustration. This was mostly brought on by the stress of having died multiple times and feeling quite a bit of the pain involved. Taking deep breaths he used what little time he had to analyze what he had learned and to try forming a battle plan.

Throughout his encounters with Slytherins Monster it seemed that Hermione was leading a group of students being controlled by magic. They comprised of second and third year students of all houses but Slytherin, though an older Gryffindor that Harry had seen playing Quidditch was there as well. The only other one he recognized was a third year Ravenclaw who he did not know by name. Of course he had noticed a black book was either bewitched or possessed by a spirit and was seemingly influencing their actions. Beyond that he had not gathered much other than that Slytherin was far more evil than anyone thought as the snake was purposefully placed in the school to kill muggleborn students.

His first two attempts had been spent trying to just get inside without being caught. Once again his invisibility cloak came in handy. The first time things went well, Harry successfully sneaking into the room right before the chamber itself to find the students. After spying on them for a few moments he gleamed that they were all acting strangely. However he did not see the book until the basilisk slithered into the room and it announced his presence with a loud hiss from Hermione's hands. It sensed Harry's location once alerted and struck without hesitation. Harry spent a few moments in excruciating pain from the set of fangs that skewered through his abdomen before once again things faded to black.

Then he had made his move earlier, sprinting down into the chamber to try ambushing the students before the snake could be summoned. In his hurry he failed to consider the fact he was only one wizard without a wand against a group of eleven. Harry found dying to be painless this time though as he was struck with a stupefy and woke agin in the room, assuming he had been slayed while he was unconscious. Despite that blessing he didn't want to go through death again anytime soon.

Without a wand in hand it was inevitable that trial and error was the only way forward. Sighing and stretching his stiff limbs all he could do was brush aside his panic and try again.

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Upon waking up and doing a quick stretch for the seventh time he Wasted no time starting on the fastest route back to the bathroom. Taking a risk he ran full sprint all the way there. His cloak didn't quite hide the movement of his feet and he did not have a wand to try a silencing spell. He wanted to avoid contact with any students or teachers as they would at the very least delay, if not stop, him from reaching the chamber in time. His footsteps sounded like thunder in the quite corridors but grew muffled as he slowed down when nearing the bathroom. Like before, nobody was around to see as he quickly opened the pipe and slid down.

Covered in slime Harry emerged from the bottom of the pipe again. Luckily there was still nothing nasty waiting for him at the bottom. Resisting the urge to wipe away the disgusting sludge off, hoping it would hide his smell, he made his way over to the door that lead to the chamber proper which opened after a gentle hiss. Once the door grinded open and close Harry found himself once again in the large creepy room wishing he could be elsewhere. He knew if he walked forward the torches on the pillars and walls would light up and knowingly waited in a dark corner next to the entrance hidden beneath his cloak. It was not long before he heard noises outisde the door that were soon followed by its opening to let in Hermione and the rest of the group. They did not talk but the squishing of their shows over the wet floor was more than loud enough to cover Harry's own as he carefully moved closer and followed them down towards the giant face at the end. His heart pounded in his chest as he fought to keep his feet from moving too quickly but none of them noticed anything. From here, Harrys plan was to listen long enough to find out what was behind this but stop them before the snake came out of the whole in the statues mouth.

Upon reaching the mostly dry tiles in front of the statue, the enchanted students formed a circle as Hermione began to search through her bag for something. In a moment she pulled out a small black journal and opened it up. Moving one painfully slow step at a time he made his way just close enough beside her to see what was in it. Instead of demonic symbols or ancient calligraphy, the pages of the book were blank. This surprised Harry for a moment until Hermione produced a quill with some ink and wrote on the paper "We are all here, my Lord." The neat writing faded away after a moment to be replaced with a far more masculine but clear writing that said "Good, now tell them to hold on to my journal and that they are not to fight my presence." Immediately after the words appeared Hermione closed the journal and stood up. "Everyone, come closer and put a hand on the journal. The Dark Lord shall be entering your minds, and you are not to resist." Without question, all of the students began to walk over. Rationalizing that this would be a good a time as any, Harry dove forward and yanked the book out of Hermione's outstretched hands.

Not missing a beat Harry took off as fast as he could down towards the chambers entrance. "STOP HIM!" He heard Hermione scream, to which he faintly heard a reply of "Where?". The answer must have been immediately obvious to them as Harry hissed open the door and made his way over to the pipe. It hit him very suddenly, and far too late, that he actually had no idea how to get back out. The pipe was without a doubt unclimbable and he didn't see any other doorways. Groaning, he realized there must be a secret exit but without a light he knew he would never find it. His time was also up as he heard the door begin to grind open again. Left with little choice Harry pulled the cloak tight around him and jumped into one of the piles of snake skin on the floor.

"Check the passage you two, call back down if you see they went that way. Everyone else, spread out and look for them. Whoever it is, they probably followed us down the pipe and dont know how to get back up. If so, they seemed to have something to make themselves invisible, so check every corner." Despite being unable to see, he could clearly tell that Hermione was talking to the rest. He chanced peeking out of the top of the pile to see where the passage back up was. Two of the students were just making their way over to one of the walls before one pushed a brick next to an ordinary piller. With a dull scratching sound a small portion of the wall moved aside to reveal a dark staircase leading back up towards the castle. The two students soon disapeared up it and Harrys focus shifted back to the room.

The remaining nine students had spread out, moving along the walls and around the piles of rubble and snake skin. Each held their wand out, but Harry could tell none of them had ever been in a real duel or even attended the club. Most were holding theirs too loosely and one red-haired idiot was holding a already broken wand backwards. One Hufflepuff girl was making her way right towards his pile while Harry tried his best to stay calm and hoped she would ignore the pile he sat in. Despite his hopes she chose his pile to start looking in. Thinking fast on his feet, the threat of death pumping adrenaline through his veins, Harry tensed up as he readied himself to strike. There was little chance of his plan working but it was the only option he had at this point.

The girl started at the thicker end of the pile and had begun shifting the loose skin around. Harry sat right along the edge in the middle, covered only by his cloak and a layer of the flaky skin around him. When she was only inches from him, poking with her wand through the scales next to him he made his move.

Fast as lightning his hand yanked the wand from her hand while also leaping up to bring an arm around her neck. As he pushed off the ground and tackled her, he pointed the wand into her stomach and cast a "Stupefy", causing her to go immediately limp. With little thought Harry brought his wand level with the next closest student and cast another. Before the flash of red even started to fade he brought it around to cast at another, and another. Three students were down in as many seconds now but the rest were all alerted to his position. They began firing spells at him but each missed in the dimroom. He realized they still couldn't see him properly with the cloak on in the dimly lit room. Using this advantage he began to move towards a gap in the circle of attack. None of them noticed the few shreds of shadow that made their way up against one of the walls, to then slide behind their firing line. Harry cast another Stupefy into the back of one student, and cast a body bind towards another. He began to move quickly along the wall again as his attackers adjusted aim towards him again. Dodging everything but a few flakes of stone more he moved to flank the group again.

"Stop firing!" Yelled Hermione, one of the last four he had moved behind. "We have the numbers, wait for them to make the first move!" Harry halted behind a pillar, only feet from them. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, running through all the components of casting the knockout curse one last time before swinging out from behind the pillar. For the remaining aggressors only one was conscious long enough to hear the first and second Stupefy before they too were knocked out.

Harry let out a very large sigh of relief as he lowered his wand. He examined the book in his hand for a moment before stuffing it into the pocket of his robes. Noticing the entrance to the stairway up still open, he carefully made his way upwards. It spiraled for quite some time before ending suddenly at a stone wall. A handle towards his left caught his attention so he grasped it and pulled. Stone ground on stone for a moment as a solid stone door slid open. It was obvious that he was back upstairs in the girls bathroom but something in the air felt wrong. A moment too late he remembered the other two students who had gone upstairs, as a bright red spell fizzled past his face. Without thinking he dove forward behind a sink and crawled further into cover. Another red spell and a tangle of ethereal ropes flew past him harmlessly. From his cover he peaked around to look at his attackers. Both were behind another row of sinks in front of the door with their wands pointed at his position. They didnt seem to be able to see his head around the edge of the sink, but they were watching the room carefully.

"Are you sure you saw the door open?" Asked the taller and older of the two. She was the one Harry thought would be trouble, as the one who replied was a nervous looking second year Hufflepuff.

"Yes, but I didnt see anything come out."

"Well keep an eye on my back while I check the room, maybe they slipped past us." Responded the older one. Wand still raised, she moved around the sinks, observant for anything out of place. Quietly as possible, Harry began to make his way around the room in the other direction towards the door. When he was behind the one standing guard, he cast two more quick stunners into each of their backs. Catching the one in front of him before they hit the ground, he checked the room one more time before bolting out and down the hallway. Putting his hand in his pocket he tightly gripped the small black journal that seemed to be the cause of all this, unwilling to take the chance his evidence would disappear.

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A/N

Very strange chapter for me as when I came back I found entire paragraphs missing. Im very embarrassed about this but hopefully I fixed the problem. Thanks for the read!


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

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After a few minutes of running down the stone corridors the adrenaline from the fight started to wear off as the stress from the past day began to take its toll on Harrys stamina. He slowed to a quick walk, mindful of any other people wandering around the castle, and tried to catch his breath. Now that he had the evidence he needed to clear his name he did not want to risk it being stolen or confiscated. He glanced down at the book, curious as to its secrets. It truly looked like just a mundane book, but he had seen its ability to take over somebody's mind. It was while he was staring at its dull black leather that he heard a voice in his head.

"Who are you!?" It shouted suddenly, causing Harry to stop in his tracks and ineffectually cover his ears. The voice sounded like it belonged to an older student who seemed quite angry that it was talking to him instead of Hermione.

"Im the person you have been framing, you- you arse!" Thought Harry angrily in return. To think that whatever was inside this book caused him all this trouble, not to mention attacked Luna and the others, and then had the audacity to be so bold. "Who are you and why are you doing all this!" He demanded.

"Ah, so I finally meet the famous Harry Potter." Replied the book angrily. "However you defeated my older self, I doubt such luck will save you this time!" It shouted afterwards. At the same time a force started to slam into and squeeze his brain, causing him to hunch over on the ground. It seemed to be trying its best to kick him out, but he focused as hard as he could on resisting the foreign presence.

"It will be over soon!" Shouted the voice again. Harry could feel the pressure build even greater. Blood pounding past his ears was all he could hear, and even that faded as his consciousness retreated inside his mind from the attack. His thoughts started to go through various memories, pictures from things he had seen in the past. One image in particular caught his attention through the pain; a small sprite of white energy floating in darkness. He remembered it from in the mirror last year and something about it drew his focus towards the memory. Just as his focus was about to completely slip away, absorbed in the shimmering white flames, the pressure disappeared. It was all he needed to make one final mental push before his eyes cleared and he quickly dropped the book to the floor as if it had turned into a snake. He stared at it on the stones for a moment, the thought of the ball of energy still at the front of his mind. It took him some time to pull himself back into reality and kick the book under a tapestry.

"I wont be touching that thing ever again." He said out loud to himself with a shiver. Harry quickly double checked that the book was hidden under the nondescript tapestry depicting an english countryside. Sure it would be safe he continued on his way towards the Headmasters office.

His hopes were that Dumbledore would be able to sort this mess out. Harry was not afraid of a little work but he felt that he had done enough today. With the situation he found himself in finally over, there was more time to get the help of the headmaster.

"Maybe things can go back to normal now." He chuckled to himself as he walked under the invisibility cloak. Footsteps up ahead caused him to flatten against the wall until two students passed by unaware of is presence.

As he walked this made Harry realize that things might never be be the way they were. Some in the school had left him alone out of fear or apathy, neither of which made him thankful to them. For those that had attacked him or failed to believe in him as a friend he felt immense anger towards. There was never any evidence against him other than circumstance. Before he wouldn't have believed so many would take up the ridiculous witch hunt against him so easily. Even now something in the back of his mind kept him in disbelief, wondering if something else caused all of the suspicion. He made a mental note to ask Dumbledore if that posessed book could have been the culprit behind even more grief in his life. However he did not get his hopes up that his betrayers were more innocent than they seemed. What he was certain of was that his Professors would never regain his trust.

When he had been attending class they had treated him even worse than the students. None of his work seemed to ever be done right and no matter what there was always something wrong with how he cast spells. Binns he decided to give a pass as the ghost was oblivious to the situation and likely couldnt have even been turned to for help anyway. Snape had unexpectedly treated him the same as always

but this did not improve the boys opinion of the potions master. The rest, most notably Flitwick and Mcgonagall, had acted unreasonably cold or vicious towards him. The deputy headmistress clearly had some bias against him now, which just made him all the more angry that she was judging without knowing him. Wether or not she was dumb enough to think he didn't know she sent the twins after him he had yet to find out, but he assumed she would act as if she had not. His own former head of house though was more than Harry could deal with. He had seen the short man as a brilliant and kind mentor. The kind of which he had wanted his whole life. When he had seen how quickly the short man threw him out of the house this image was shattered. As much as he would like to forgive him,if he wasn't going to be forgiving others for less then he would definitely not be making amends with his former dueling instructor.

Distracted from his deep thoughts, he didnt notice how much his posture began to straighten and steps widened as he carried on. All the cards were in his hands now, and despite not considering the angle himself, his subconscious recognized it. It brought back his confidence which he had all but lost.

If anyone had been able close enough, they would have been able to make out a minuscule spark of flame fade away from the edge of Harrys curse mark. The last ember finally burning out, consumed by the hole of darkness...

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"...And so it is with a happy heart I am proud to announce the close of this year at Hogwarts. For some, this goodbye will be our last, as a student at least. For the rest I will be seeing you soon anyway so there is no need to get emotional about our time apart." Students around the Great Hall chuckled at the headmasters humor. "We all know its nice to have a break at home with our loved ones, but I do hope that you return with everything you leave here with, and perhaps a bit more." Dumbledores grand end of the year speech was interrupted by the applause of the student body. When it died down he continued further. "As for those who have signed up, or wish to sign up, to stay a week longer to greet the awoken petrified students, the deadline will be an hour after the end of the feast. One week from now, another small gathering shall be held to say farewell to those affected by the attacks this year and any who wish may return to see them. Make sure all arrangements for returning students and family that day are made in advance if possible. Now without delay, let us all give one final cheer and say farewell!" Given the suddenness to his goodbye most of the listeners were a few moments to catch up. Suddenly though the entire room shook with applause. Nearly every student in the school had been close to a victim or two of the attacks and the school had been full of excitement and relief since the end of the whole ordeal. Just weeks before it was almost certain that they would not be able to return the next year and it made them all exuberant to know they were returning.

Harry on the other hand, while not exactly in too rough shape anymore, was still by himself. He knew he probably didn't need to be anymore but he hadn't even attempted yet to get over how horribly some people had treated him. They weren't necessarily to blame, only having the information they had, but their actions were more than enough to break whatever connection he had with them. While he had of course spoken a few words to some when needed, and listened to all their apologies, only one or two had at least not done or said something to him during his exile. Even though he was always patient when listening to their pleas of forgiveness he never found himself able to think of anything to say back in return.

Since discovering the chamber he had spent his time alone after breaking up the plots of "Tom Riddle" the book. He remembered the completely horrified look on the old mans face when he spilled the beans about Lord Voldemort almost taking over the school, or at the very least nearly killing a bunch of students. He had of course hidden the secret of his supposed "immortality" from the man, not knowing himself what the true cause could be. Whatever it was, he had noticed a slight tug at times on his forehead where the scar should be. This was an especially strange sensation as even when he touched it himself there had never been a sensation where the curse mark rested.

Many of his thoughts were otherwise directed towards thinking about the implications of what he could do, and worrying about the negative side affects that would undoubtedly come with. Death, even temporary, couldn't be healthy for anyone which even he could see that at his age. It didnt bother him much for now as he found the experiences to blur away, especially the first couple of times when he had not been expecting it. Ultimately he did decide not to dwell too much on actively using his strange power, and reasoned he did not want to find out if killing himself would work the same as being murdered anyway.

Outside of his confused thoughts he had happily taken advantage of having his wand back to the fullest. The first spell he had tried to cast was a conjuring spell for a boquet of flowers, followed by a charm that would cause the color to continuously change, both of which should be easy for his year level. Sadly the flowers had been slightly wilted and only turned blue and then red before settling on a dark brown. With a little experimentation he had it down, along with as many other spells he had been itching to try. Nearly all day he would cast whatever spells he could think of from his private studying during the year. This left him feeling very tired, unable to cast any more spells at certain points, but using his magic again was so exciting he hardly noticed.

Harry's solitude during the final week was met with a mixed response by the inhabitants of Hogwarts. The boy who lived was glad that most of the student body would simply apologize to him, and upon taking the hint he didn't want to talk any further, would then leave him alone. He had considered going easy on some of them, genuine apologies being hard to ignore, but never found himself actually doing it. Then there were the ones who expected their previous friendship to make up for what happened, barely giving an apology before cracking smiles and trying to pat him on the back. Cho and Cedric had approached him, with Cho acting as if she hadn't lead a group of girls that had tied Harry up and hung him naked upside down in front of the great hall. Cedric, whom had sent several nasty curses his way, was smart enough to only mutter "We were true idiots, Harry. Please forgive us one day." Before quickly dragging his girlfriend away as Harry readied himself to hex her face off.

On top of the apologies every other moment he allowed himself to be found was spent receiving thanks and praise for saving classmates or family members. An older red-head prefect from Gryffindor, one Percy Weasley, had simply handed him a scroll of parchment detailing a contract for a blood-debt by saving his two youngest siblings. When read later, it described how any member of the family, outside of those involved with the initial debt, could be called upon for anything within their power. Harry would eventually store the parchment in the bottom of his trunk and forget about it for so long that it simply vanished. Soon after he had received the parchment the Twins showed up, literally shuffling down the hallway on their knees with their heads to the floor.

"Harry, it goes without saying that we are truly sorry." Started the one on the left, eliciting a snort from Harry in response. There was a slight pause before the other continued.

"We don't deserve your forgiveness,"

"But we wanted you to know that we only did-"

"What you would have done if someone attacked Luna-"

"And was still walking around the castle."

"So we are sorry,"

"And if you ever find we deserve forgiveness,"

"We will be waiting..." A few moments of awkward silence followed, before the twins decided it was best to leave without even looking up and slid back on their knees around the corner. Their words made him rethink things though. Harry knew that a lot of his motivation for staying at school was to get back at Luna's attacker. While he knew the motivation for most of the assaults on him was unjust, many had merely been upset over someone they care about being harmed. He had spent the rest of the night considering what that meant, and he ultimately decided that he would have to start forgiving people next year. That would require some time apart however. Not to mention he would rather be left alone to deal with everything that happened. Until Luna awoke that is.

So the longest week of the year began for Harry as the school rested for one more night before departing. Soon he would be truly left with nothing to do but wait for his beloved friend to be healed.

With the Great Hall now empty he stood from his chair and desk in the corner pulling the cloak of invisibility off his shoulders and into his bag. Even the clacks of his shoes on the stone as he exited sounded lonely, but they wouldn't be for long...

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A/N

Thanks again for reading!

~fumbls


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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Not many people had stayed during the final week of waiting for the potions to reverse petrification were finished. Several of the students whose minds were possessed had also needed to stay in the hospital wing to heal from the dark magic used on their minds. Surprisingly it was a good portion of the seventh years elected to stay during this time. It was both an excuse to stay at the school and to spend time with the younger students who were in need of support from people closer to their own age. None of the first years had stayed, and only a handful of students in fifth and sixth year were around. Most were in Harry's year or the next two years up as the majority of the students attacked were in those years. The heads of each house kept an eye on their students during this time but otherwise left them to enjoy their time reading, hanging around the popular areas of the school, or playing countless games of exploding snap and chess. Everyone felt safe finally, and laughter could be heard throughout the halls despite the diminished size of the schools occupants.

Harry, cast from his house, had taken to sleeping in an unused sitting room near the north side of the school to, even though he wouldn't admit it, mope. The house elves had been eager to move a bed there after Harry had sent an owl to the Headmasters for consent. His only personal interaction with the man was right after he had hidden the book as he was looking to find him.

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"What brings you out at this time of night, Harry?" Spoke the voice of the headmaster from behind the boy. Harry whipped around, stolen wand out and at the ready. He lowered it upon seeing the smiling face of the aging professor, which quickly dropped into a look of concern upon noticing Harrys disheveled appearance. From head to toe he was covered in dirt, slime, and flakes of snake skin. Even his hair was noticeably out of place. "What happened, my dear boy?" He asked after taking in his appearance.

"Well, I found out whats been happening all year." He said plainly before looking down, now noticing his appearance himself. He tried his best to brush the flakes off as he continued. "Turns out there was a book possessed by Voldemort's past self, or something like that. I didn't really have time to ask him when he tried to invade my mind."

"Are you alright? Where is this book Harry?" Asked the headmaster hurriedly. He had already sent off a mental message to Faux that students were in trouble and possible need of medical care. His familiar was now busily summoning staff members and standing by to help if needed.

"Back there, underneath the tapestry of a field of blue flowers." Harry pointed back from where he had been coming from. "I wouldn't touch it though, he seemed quite powerful even as a ghost. As for myself, well-" Harry paused for a moment as the memories of recently being killed came to mind. "Im doing as well as can be expected. I managed to not get hurt by the students he posessed and when he attacked my mind he suddenly stopped right when i thought he was going to win. More important are the students stupefied in a chamber at the bottom of a secret staircase in the girls bathroom back there."

"Follow me then, it would be best if you stay close until I say it is safe to go rest. He may still be inside your mind, or your help could be needed down in this chamber you speak of." Harry in tow, they began walking down the corridor and around the corner to hall where the tapestry waited.

"Oh yeah, the entrance needs a passphrase. Im pretty sure you have to speak it in snake language, but when I said the password it just sounded like i was talking normally but hissing at the end of words."

"It must be true then, Salazar really did build the Chamber of Secrets, as it has come to be called. I suspected it was opened before when a student several decades ago was blamed for the murder of a young girl at this school, but there had never been proof. Another student, whom I suspect you have now encountered, gave testimony that it was another who commanded a monster within the school to commit the murder. It would appear that my concerns at the time were correct and that the wrong student was blamed for the attack. To think I allowed a monster to be loose in this school." The headmaster paused as Harry noticed they had reached the tapestry with the hidden book underneath. It was at this time that Professor Mcgonagall arrived, nearly flying around the corner in a rage. Her scowl only deepened as she saw the face of whome she believed to be the cause of everything. Dumbldore simply held up a hand as she opened her mouth to start yelling. "Professor, it would appear that Harry here has discovered the true culprit behind all this." He elegantly waved his wand, which sprang into his hand without anyone noticing, and caused the small black tome to slide out from underneath the tapestry. However, Mcgonagalls reaction was not expected.

"What is this all about?" Spat the scottish woman at the headmaster, consumed by her rage. She could not believe her trusted friend was being so easily manipulated by the Potter child. "That is the journal of Hermione Granger," she continued, "the most studious and mild-mannered girl in this school. Are you saying a witch with no magical lineage is behind the opening of the chamber of secrets?" Dumbledore was quick in response.

"You forget that while I have made mistakes, I almost never make them again. Harry has clearly been mistreated while my attention was needed elsewhere, not to mention my far more important task of trying to stop these attacks. I came across Harry looking quite disheveled, moreso than what I usually see during the rare times I have had time to properly check in on the students. Of course I immediately cast a few repairing charms on his clothes and minor healing spells on the boy before questioning him." Harry looked down to see that his clothes were indeed looking brand new, as well as noticing that some of his aches were not quite so bad. Dumbledore paused a moment as he watched Harry before resuming. "He then informed me that he had found the culprit and showed me where he had hidden it after it had attacked him. I suspect this book to have either a very powerful curse upon it or to be possessed by an equally powerful spirit. If this book has been in the posession of Miss Granger and you were aware of it I can only assume you were foolishly blinded by whatever reasons you have come to dislike this boy." Harry grew nervous as the Headmaster spoke angrily to the Deputy Headmistress, feeling embarrassed to witness the tongue lashing. "So I now expect you to realize that this is the biggest danger right now, followed by whatever lies in the chamber itself. Harry has agreed to show me where the entrance is and how to enter." Mcgonagall looked angry throughout most of Dumbledores words, but by the end a streak of guilt was running across her face as she looked down at the boy next to he headmaster.

"Very well, headmaster. I shall start contacting the staff to check upon the rest of the students. Where is the chamber, and do you need me to get anyone to help you?"

"It is in the bathroom down the hallway, the one haunted by Ms. Myrtle. I believe she may very well be the first victim of Slytherins monster, and perhaps the removal of her murderer will allow her young soul to pass on to a better place. All the others whom I wished to begin helping treat the affected students are on their way now." Dumbledore then turned and began to walk away, hands clasped behind his back with Harry taking a moment to catch up by his side.

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Harry had then proceeded to open the entrance, after which the headmaster cast a spell that kept the pipe expanded. Down below in the entrance chamber Dumbledore had already began casting spells to clear the snakeskin, bones, and rubble away from the students before Harry even landed at the end of the pipe. This time on a oversized couch pillow conjured by the headmaster.

After showing him how to open the entrance back up and speaking the password for the second door Dumbledore captured a recording of it in a small device produced from the inner pocket of his robes. With a reasuring hand placed on Harrys shoulder, and a sincere thanks for his efforts, he was sent back up to the castle proper and told to get a good rest. Despite his depleted energy, both magical and physical, his thoughts kept him awake the entire night. When he did finally succumb to the grasp of sleep, he slept for the entire day. He had been confused and scared upon waking up to night again, but that soon faded as he realized he had not awoken cramped in a corner again, but warm in bed.

House elves had soon began to bring meals to him, though Harry did start returning to the great hall after he realized he was likely welcomed there again. However, he now sat at the end of the Hufflepuff table. They were respectful enough to leave him alone during meals after the first few people who tried to talk to him were mostly ignored. Draco Malfoy, who for some reason still antagonized Harry, did get a silencio for his trouble.

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A/N

First batch of edits DONE. Sooner or later I'm sure ill be doing this again though.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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"Harry!" Came an exclamation from behind Harry's current seat in the Transfiguration classroom. At first he ignored it and refocused on the make-up exam he was trying to finish. His quill and paper were immediately forgotten upon recognizing the voice. Those watching would later swear that Harry stood, turned around, and crossed the entire classroom in an instant.

"Luna!" Shouted the Boy-Who-Keeps-Living, tightly embracing his blonde friend. She too was shocked at how suddenly she found herself in the embrace, but quickly pulled him into her own arms.

"Before you ask, Professor Snape finished a batch of the potion early. The others first attacked and I were cured an hour ago. I wasn't allowed to leave so I made a distraction and ran off to find you!"

"Luna, thats mental!" Exclaimed her best friend. "What if you got hurt from moving around to soon?"

"Oh shush, I'm perfectly fine and you know it. I heard a little about what happened while I was asleep, so you're the one to be worried about. I want you to tell me yourself when we have time."

"Now that you're awake I'm fine." Those in the room were once again shocked to see the large smile on Harry's face. Recently his grimace had been a little less terrifying but this change was more sudden than they were ready for. "We could go now but I really should finish this exam so I can be a third year next fall."

"Well hurry up, ill be heading back to the infirmary and they probably wont let me leave again unless you sneak me out." Luna pulled Harry back into a hug.

"Sounds like a plan." He said with a smile. Tentatively, Professor Mcgonagall chose this moment to interrupt the brief hug.

"Im sorry Ms Lovegood, but Mr Potter must finish his exam. He only has one more practical after this. Once he is finished I will give him a pass to get you out of the infirmary. May I also add it is wonderful to see you in good health and that I cannot wait to teach you again next year."

"Thank you Professor. Ill be heading there now." She began walking away, but she was still looking back at Harry with a smile. "See you soon Harry!"

"Be careful, you better not run into that Basilisk again!" He replied, an equally large smile on his face.

This however brought a slight frown to the face of Mcgonagall, whom could not help hearing their exchange. The fact that Harry knew what the monster was in the chamber brought back some of her old suspicions as he had not identified the creature or, from what she knew, even entered the chamber where it rested. As he sat back down at his desk and picked up his quill to begin writing again she contemplated what this could mean. Luckily for Harry, whom was indeed guilty of withholding information that would be hard to explain, she immediately told herself that it would make no sense for him to make that kind of mistake at this point if he was somehow guilty. She remembered the large amounts of shed snakeskin down in the chamber entrance. Mcgonagall quickly conclusion that the studious boy figured out that there were few giant snakes that could cause petrification.

Harry was soon finished with both parts of his last exam, surprising Mcgonagall with the ease at which he cast the spells required. He was not lacking any of his mothers talent for study, nor his fathers for the flair of the complex wand movements required in transfiguration. Throughout it all he was grinning, and even seemed to be rushing himself despite his perfect spellwork. With a smile and a firm handshake she handed Harry a pass excusing himself and Miss Lovegood to go do whatever it was the two did. He smiled back up at her, the friendly twinkle in his green eyes Lily had that caught the attention of every boy in school with. As he sprinted out the room and down the hallway, she gave a sigh of relief. It would seem that they had not broken the poor boy as she feared, and more importantly, that Harry would truly become a great wizard. Not many adults could show forgiveness for even the slightest of things, yet it seemed he had already decided before Luna was even awake. Of course she knew that while he may have forgiven them, it was unlikely he would ever become close to them the way she had hoped.

Mcgonagall made her way over to her desk and, for the hundredth time that year, poured out a finger of scotch and downed it without hesitation. This time it was in celebration, and she soon realized that there were other members of the faculty who would join her upon hearing this news. Even Snape would probably show up, though he would likely mutter something about "making sure the faculty don't all get poisoned at once" before joining in.

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Harry and Luna spent their last days together for the year doing just that; being together. They both felt cheated of nearly half a years worth of friendship and wished to make up for it. Plans were made between the two involving both the summer and the next year. Luna, while a very sweet girl, did have her own mean streak and made it clear she would be showing it to quite a few people. Even Harry was concerned for the health and safety of some of the other students next year, but decided that they deserved it.

With plans in place to see Luna at the end of the summer, Harry exited the Hogwarts express to return back to the Dursleys once more. They gave him a very strange look when Luna hugged him goodbye, but otherwise kept quiet for the ride home. He was given a significantly smaller than normal list of chores to do and told what time to be expected for meals he wouldn't help prepare. While it may not have been as exciting as his time at school he was glad for these few months of relative peace. Dudley seemed deathly afraid of him, and did nothing but stare at the hole peaking out from behind Harrys bangs. Vernon said but a few words to him, which surprisingly were often light praises about Harrys yard work. Petunia had also began her husband and son on a diet, which meant she made sure that they didn't eat Harry's portions. At least Vernon didn't, while Dudley still stole the occasional sausage and would eat it on reflex before growing pale and looking at Harry. It concerned him how much he scared his cousin, but he decided he would fix that next summer. If his cousin didn't forget about his pig tail and decide magic was a load of hogwash by the end of next school year.

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Thanks as always for reading,

-Fumbls


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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Harry sat next to his window, gazing out into the quiet neighborhood surrounding his relatives house. Cars drove past often, along with all manner of pedestrians being pulled by dogs and children riding on bikes. While the bright day outside was cheering him up nicely, his young mind was having trouble dealing with the events of last year.

Between the sudden turning of the school against himself and the strange power he discovered there was a lot to think about. He was certain that even despite the misfortunate timing and convincing evidence, something more must have caused so many people to turn on him. Some seemed far more prone to trying to harm him than they were normally capable of, while a small portion hadn't seemed particularly convinced of his guilt at all until the teachers themselves started to say it was true. What concerned him most was the way they looked at his forehead while attacking him and the way they focused on it in their verbal abuse. Eventually though he had decided to stop dwelling on the misunderstanding unless it was brought up again. As the first months of vacation slipped by, he started feeling less and less anxious about the next school year. This however lead him spending a lot of time as he was now; thinking about his strange ability to time travel and how he had seen his parents.

His powers, while a complete mystery, did not terrify him as much as he thought they would. Harry mostly just never wanted to use it again. The sensation of dying was extremely unpleasant, though he hadn't been able to feel the pain. Simply the knowledge afterwards that he had died felt unnatural and somehow dirty. He reasoned that it was indeed an unnatural thing for a human to go through, and that the dirty feeling may have had to do with this. Despite how much he disliked the topic, it would drift into his mind nearly every hour. Luckily he was able to keep himself occupied, or at least distracted, enough that it was manageable. However, Harry sensed that he definitely should not keep it all bottled up.

Despite how much he had been dying to tell Luna about everything, Harry had avoided that part of his explanation of the events during her petrification. He had wanted to spend his time with her as happy as possible, and he knew worrying her would sour the mood. He had not even thought about it very much at all from the time of her awakening and his arrival in London. Now that he had some time to sort things out in his own head he felt it was necessary to tell someone. It was with great relief that he felt sure his friend would understand and not call him crazy. He had noticed his friend seemed very interested in the unexplainable, and perhaps knew something about it. If she didnt and her parents seemed to be of a similar mindset, then perhaps they had answers. Then he felt like it would be an okay to time to bring up talking to his parents, and wether Luna thought it was real or not. Deep down though he knew it must have really been them, but it was so surreal that his rational mind didnt want to believe it. Even after all the magic and wonderful things that had changed, he still had trouble accepting the better quality of his life and the good things that happened to him. Especially when bad things occurred around him so often.

However on this day in particular Harry was thinking about none of these things at all as he sat motionless staring up at the blue sky. Despite the suns brightness, something else was shining on the boys mind. He daydreamed of a now familiar white flame that he could not shake from his thoughts.

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More people than ever before had gathered into his little hovel. The packed dirt and raw stone walls barely visible compared to most times. Of course he had built it in secret, never telling anyone of its location, so he realized his anxiety at the sight of its fullness was only partially justified. A large portion of his time had been spent alone here until his guests arrival was planned, and even then he had not expected to see this many. His family were gone and he was cast out from his previous home, thinking all the rest of his comrades dead. Now though it seemed that he had not been the only one left, simply the most secluded in life. His fingers tapped lightly on the arm of his chair as he gazed towards the small groups that whispered around him. Normally the whispering would seem suspicious or undoubtedly be impolite towards others in the room, but to a knowing ear one could tell it was filled with the same merriment found in the great hall of Hogwarts at christmastime. Yes, they were all reunited and knew that not all hope for them was lost. Now all they needed was time and a new cause. Time to build themselves a knew home, and something to do afterwards.

Perhaps England would take them in, or in his case back. After All, the Ministries problems with Dark Wizards were far from over judging by the papers showing the faces of many whom he knew to be evil residing in their own government. First though they would need something to bring them back into favor with society. Getting rid of Dark Wizards was almost always the easiest way to do so in the wizarding world.

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Harry was hesitant to do it, but he took a deep breath and raised his hand up smoothly with his thumb pointed up. It seemed almost at that moment he heard the honk of a large bus and jumped back. Down the street shown the bright lights of a triple decker bus; the Knight Bus. It was going alarmingly fast down the street before suddenly decelerating and coming to a halt directly in front of him. The doors slid open and out leaned a strange looking man.

Normally "scary" or "menacing" would work best, but to Harry he just seemed to be oddly cloaked. He wore leather clothing that could almost be mistaken for armor, and a cloak of dark blue with the hood down to show the face of a middle aged man. His brown hair was quickly combed and he appeared to have somewhat of a black eye. Behind him could be seen an old man at the drivers seat.

"Mr Harry Potter, I presume?" He said with an expectant tone.

"Yes, im looking to go to Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England please?"

"That'll be one sickle." Harry then pulled a sickle out of his pocket and handed it to the man, like he had been told to do. The stranger took it, gave it a stern gaze, then placed it into a slot on the bus. He then stepped down from the bus and stood to the side while making a bowing gesture that also ushered him to the door. As soon as he passed the man spoke again. "My name is Esric, those," he said before pushing a hand past his face to point at a bunch of chairs on the floor of the large bus, "Are where you can sit. If you have any problems, please call. Without further delay, let us be off." Esrec's hand then grabbed a handle next to his head, while Harry quickly jumped onto a seat. With a slight squealing of the tires, the bus rocketed off. Harry's chair was not as secured down to the bus as he had thought and slid backwards until he pushed his feet down against the floor to stop his progress. His eyes darted to the window to see buildings and lights blurring by at a surprising speed. Harry was surprised to find he loved the rush of speed and the blurring of things as they went past. He was soon laughing and smiling as the bus zoomed seemingly faster and faster. The aging driver seemed to have some manner of enhanced speed or a spell that slowed down time as he was jerking the wheel in an alarming manner but not hitting anything. The tall cloaked man named Esric stood silently holding on to the handrail above. He seemed entirely unfazed by the erratic movements of the bus that continued to slide Harry's chair around. Before Harry had much time to study the man he had arrived at the destination, literally sitting there for an entire minute before he realized the bus had stopped moving. His face growing a little red, Harry quickly picked up his suitcase and moved to the front. He produced another two sickles towards Esric.

"Its not much, but the ride was quite enjoyable. Thank you both." He said nervously, before slipping off the bus. The driver heard none of this, while Esric gave a slight smile before sliding both sickles into his new co-workers shirt pocket. He muttered to himself as the doors slid back shut and the Knight Bus disappeared in a blur of motion.

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Harry was extremely nervous after first stepping off the bus. He realized that nobody had said this was the right stop before he exited the bus. Even after he noticed the large sign that told him he was in the right town, he didn't see any sign of Luna or her parents. That was until he felt a hand grab his shoulder and spin him around to see they were directly behind himself.

"Harry!" Yelled Luna, before squeezing him into a tight hug. He returned the hug just as tightly, before he looked at the amused expressions on the two people behind Luna. One was of a middle aged woman who had hair that matched Lunas, though a slight bit darker. Beside her stood a somehwat oddly dressed man with a constantly surprised face like Luna's. Both were smiling and seemed very happy to see him.

"Harry, my dear!" Exclaimed the woman. She went over and pulled both him and Luna into a tight hug. "Im Pandora and this is Xenophilius," she said after standing up and grabbing her husband. "We are ecstatic to meet you finally after hearing our dear Luna talk about you so much. "

"Yes, it would seem that you and her are quite close." Interjected Xeno, who held out a hand which Harry shook. "Im glad really, its so hard to find true friends when you're around the same thirty kids your own age for seven years"

"That business in the chamber affected our daughter, so we should also thank you for that before anything else." Pandora said hurriedly, her husband right behind her with his own words.

"Quite and impressive feat, taking down over a dozen other students by yourself. Have you any interest in dueling?"

"Really I didn't do anything to heal her. All I did was find out the truth and tell the teachers." Responded Harry, his face growing a little red at the praise. "Yes I was interested in learning to duel, but I lost my tutor earlier this year."

"Well I would not let that stop you, but I think we can talk about that more later. It is about time for us to be going if we want to see the dergibal plums at full buoyancy."

"Lets go!" Exclaimed Luna before grabbing Harrys arm and dragging him off down the road. Despite their quickened pace, every time Harry looked back the two adults were still walking calmly only ten or fifteen yards behind. He decided to ask how they were doing it later.

The walk to their home that followed was probably some of the greatest time Harry could remember spending. It was a mostly sunny day with only a few clouds and a bright yellow sun. They all walked through the countryside with Luna dragging him off to see many strange sights, with her parents mostly following but at other times staying back to admire something nearby.

As they first began he was shown a creek by Luna that ran alongside the road back towards where they were coming from. In the middle were many rocks that appeared to have been laid so that one could jump along the stones up the small channel of water. It went for quite a while before the rocks ended, during which he and his friend laughed often as one or the other would step into the water. Harry laughed upon looking back to see her parents behind them, jumping or stepping to the stones right behind them.

After that they had all walked for a while he learned that Luna's mother worked as a arithmancer for the ministry. She began to explain a bit further about the subject, but Harry was soon lost. Pandora changed the topic towards his mother, and described a brief project they worked on together for a charms essay. They had apparently been banned from working together again by the rest of the class as their project had blown the rest out of the water. Everyone grew quiet for a moment after the story ended, but that was quickly swept away by Xeno's jump into a rant about his study of a creature called a Nilwerg that ate a diet based entirely off of dirt. Harry was fascinated by his tale and was very interested to hear about the magical being. However Pandora eventually hushed her husband and told Harry that he shouldn't listen to the old coot. She explained that he wrote for, edited, and printed a magazine that published stories about mythological and bizarre magical animals. Xeno even admitted that many were made up or exaggerations, but Luna defended him by telling of many creatures that had been found because of his work. It seemed however that the magazine was an international success, with subscribers from all over the world. They got submissions and letters from experts in many fields as well as dozens of private submissions that sent in tales they had. Xeno beamed when he described how Luna had began to write her own articles that summer. It seemed his friend was quite a fanatic for magical creatures, especially of the rare kind.

Their discussions carried on until the group reached a path leading up to a large stone house. Outside it were grassy fields and a large garden. Luna took his hand and started leading him up towards the front door. Behind them still followed the parents, who were both staring at each other with a smile.

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Summer for the two friends grew to a quicker end than they could believe. Harry spent his last weeks before school with the Lovegoods, and they were quite amazing. Every day was filled with playing with Luna or helping Xeno with his articles. While he didn't have much to add, he enjoyed discussing the things Luna and her father wrote about. Pandora worked away from home but still came back early in the evening. She would tell the two about things she worked on or other bits of news from her co-workers research. This often lead into larger discussions about different aspects of arithmancy and soon began to interest him in the subject as well. When he got his letter this year it came with a form asking what electives he would like to take, and he decided to put arithmancy down for one. He also chose the care of magical creatures because he saw Hagrid would be teaching it this year. There had been little chance to see his giant friend last year and hoped to make up for it. Not to mention that based off of the caretakers interests Harry would likely get to see many amazing creatures.

Their meals at the Lovegoods tower were eaten outside when the weather permitted, and they all got along perfectly. On his thirteenth birthday they took him out to see a magical zoo in northern England. He was delighted to see all the interesting creatures of the magical world, or at least a good portion. He was particularly intrigued by the snakes, one of which claimed to be over a thousand years old.

Afterwards they went to see a play performed with magic illusions in place of lights and instruments in muggle plays. It was surprisingly interesting, but for Harry and Luna it did get dull until the firework show at the very end. For dinner they ate a large meal they all helped prepare, after which the Lovegoods gave him a few small presents. Luna had for him a dergibal plum and bottle cap necklace along with a small painting of the fields outside. Pandora gave him a book about basic arithmancy, and Xeno gave him a slightly old broomstick. Harry read through the book quickly and found it quite interesting, but very complex and confusing. He and Luna also spent quite a lot of time flying the broom around, and he planned to bring it to Hogwarts.

Eventually though all things must end, and Harry once again found himself at platform nine and three quarters. This time though he was with new friends and, in many ways, family.

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	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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Harry found the ride to Hogwarts this year was by far the strangest yet. Somewhere near halfway along the journey to Hogwarts the train stopped without any warning. Even with the doors closed Harry could clearly hear the questioning yells of his schoolmates. Soon after a prefect peeked inside and told them he didn't know what was going on but to stay in their compartment. It was only a moment after he left that the compartment himself and Luna shared grew colder and colder to the point that the windows covered with frost.

After seeing Luna was also quite scared by this Harry was somehow relieved, but that quickly faded as the sun outside seemed to grow dim. Both of them would later describe how a strange uneasiness built up in their minds that worsened until they both felt a urge to run away in tears. Then through the windows frost they could make out something moving in front of the door. Both of their wands were out even as the latch began to lift and whatever it was tried to enter. Harrys scar began to hurt and to his horror he started hear his mother screaming "Leave Harry alone!" followed by flashes of green light, a vague memory of the night she was murdered he would later deduce. Suddenly as the pain in his scar became unbearable a great burst of light shone through the frost from the left of the compartment and pushed away whatever was outside away from the door. They heard unnatural screaming and the cart shook for a moment before the chill in the air lessened and the icy windows melted to let the sunlight back in. However the latch started to open again and both their wands were back up in a flash despite their recent terror. It slammed open to reveal a disheveled and terrified looking man in patched robes. He let out a huge sigh and pressed his forehead against the doorframe for a moment as he saw the occupants were alright.

"You know pointing your wand at a professor is grounds for expulsion." He spoke with a smile after lifting his head back up.

"Ive never seen you before, and besides, we arent at Hogwarts yet." Harry replied while not lowering his wand.

"Yes thats right, where are my manners. My name is Remus Lupin. I will be taking over as your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year in place of that fool Lockhart. But first," he paused to reach into his pocket and pull out a bar of muggle chocolate, "you should both eat some of this. Chocolate does wonders to help with the effects of being close to Dementers." He held out the chocolate for them to take, which Harry did after giving it a skeptical gaze. He broke it in the middle and gave half to Luna who was looking very pale. They both looked and felt considerably better as the chocolate melted in their mouths.

"Are you alright Luna?" Harry asked with concern.

"I-Im fine, really. Ive never been scared like that before though. Thank you for the chocolate, it really helped." A bit more color began to return to her face and her normal smile returned.

"You are most welcome you two. Im not sure what that abomination was doing aboard the express, but you are quite lucky I was there to chase it off with my Patronus." Remus glanced out the window of the train as if expecting to see more of whatever had tried to attack them.

"What are Dementers and Patronuses, Professor Lupin?" Harry asked. The new Defense professor gave a sigh and sat in the seats across from them. He pulled out another candy bar, breaking off a piece for himself and handing the rest over to them which they then ate quickly.

"A Dementer is an awful creature that eats the souls of humans by sucking it out of your mouth. It is unclear as to where they come from, but the Dark Lord used them extensively in the last war. Since his fall the Ministry has gotten them to guard Azkaban, and I assume they are here to look for an inmate that recently escaped. However it should definitely not have been trying to enter any of the student cabins." The ragged looking wizard rubbed his temples for a moment before continuing. Harry did not blame him after being so close to the creature. "The Patronus charm uses positive emotions brought out by specific memories to create a force of light. The nature of the magic does something akin to burning Dementers, which seem to be made up of darkness." Harry shivered for a moment as the chill from before creeped through his body. Remus paused for a moment to peer questioningly at the som of his two best friends but continued a moment later. "The charm has two forms; a basic mist and a more powerful corporeal manifestation that takes the shape of an animal. What animal it takes the shape of varies from person to person and will normally tell you a lot about their personality. This is also a very difficult spell to master with very few applications and as such is not even taught in the normal curriculum at Hogwarts. It requires not only perfect wand movements and wording but also extreme amounts of focus on the memory you are using. This is not something easily done when facing down one of those things."

"Could you teach it to us?" Harry asked, at the moment wanting nothing more than a way to keep those things as far away as possible.

"I could try, but ill be busy for the first few months setting up my class schedule. It would require a lot of extra class hours I hope you realize. Even then there is no guarantee it will help you if one of them catches you off guard." Remus could already tell there would be no convincing either of them against trying. Harry's stern faced determination reminded him of why James had always been the leader of the marauders. This young friend of his was also looking similarly determined, though it was hard to tell with the gentle smile on her face.

"We're Ravenclaws professor. Or at least I am and he used to be." Said Luna, her smile glowing. "We spend most of our free time studying already anyway." There was a round of laughter in the compartment as all the previous tension from before faded away.

Remus spent a good portion of the train ride going over some of the basics they would need to work on to cast the first stage of the spell. As they grew near the school the topic of his own time there as a student was brought up and lead to him explaining his closeness to Harry's parents. Happily he did his best to summarize his time with them and was immensely glad to see the boy wanted to know everything about them. It was an easy decision for him to commit to spending as much time as he could with Harry even with the tight schedule he had at the moment. Becoming the new Defense Professor was an honor but this seemed to be another chance to repay the debt he felt he still owed his dearest friends.

After they pulled up to the station in Hogsmeade Harry and Luna bid farewell to their new professor and boarded a carriage feeling ready for the year ahead. This time he discovered the truth behind the mysterious horses, which Luna called Threstrals, after mentioning them to her. He hoped that Hagrid would know more about them, which further reminded him of his excitement for this year. Besides the threat of a murderous madman that had sold out his parents there was little to be worried about. Compared to being eaten by a Basilisk this singular worry seemed mundane.

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Harrys first steps back into Hogwarts for his third year began as well as could be expected. Of course he turned far more heads than he appreciated, but this was somewhat normal. Most of the stares were followed by whispering, enough that he started to get nervous. Then he saw the worried expressions on some of the faculty and the gaze the Headmaster was giving him from his seat at the table. At this point he started to sweat and told Luna that he needed to go talk to the headmaster. She gave him a quick hug before running over to get them spots at the Ravenclaw table. He then quickly moved up towards the staff table. Dumbledore stood and motioned for Harry to follow him into the side entrance used by the Professors that lead to the trophy room and staff lounge.

Upon entering the room the headmaster turned and looked at Harry analytically before speaking.

"I am glad to see you back safe and sound from your summer break. I trust the Lovegoods were as pleasant company as I remember?" As always Dumbledore did his best to start off serious discussions with the boy by engaging cheerful banter. Wether it was the topic at hand or his skill at dealing with children it seemed to ease Harry's concern for the moment.

"They were great, sir. It was the best summer I can remember. But sir, is there something wrong? Everyone has been staring at me as if there was a monster behind my back..."

"Yes, I suppose it would be best not to skirt around the subject. You see my boy, there was a man who was very close to your parents in school named Sirius Black. So close that they trusted him with the secret of their whereabouts after they went into hiding during the last war. Sadly he turned out to be a traitor and told the dark lord their secret, thus leading him to find you and your parents." Dumbledore broke eye contact with Harry and began pacing in front of a cabinet containing several Quidditch awards, fully aware that several belonged to the boys father. "He was captured later after having killed over a dozen innocent muggles in his attempt to escape. He has been in Azkaban ever since, a prison that has never been escaped from. Somehow Sirius Black has indeed done just that and now many are concerned he will be trying to go after you this year. The Ministry decided that aurors and dementers shall be set to patrol the grounds until he is apprehended. I will explain more during the opening speech about what that will mean, but for the most part they are here for everyones protection." Harry did not think there was any doubt about the Aurors coming from the Headmaster. It was quite obvious the aging wizard cared little for the dark creatures. "You may have also noticed a new staff member, Remus Lupin. He was among the close group of friends your parents were in. My hopes is that he can give a more personal level of protection from Sirius, as well as perhaps tell you about your parents a bit more."

"I met him on the train actually. He defended Luna and I from a Dementer that tried to enter our compartment. He also mentioned that a convict escaped, but he didnt say anything about knowing him so well."

"I suppose he has some trouble talking about such things, or perhaps he thought his connection to the man would scare you away. He lost his family at a young age, and then all of his friends during the last war. It would only be natural at this point for him to fear loosing anyone else. I remember him being quite close to Sirius and can only assume he could not bring himself to talk about it in detail with you yet. Give him some time, im sure he will have plenty of great tales to tell you of their adventures here." The headmaster then pulled up his sleeve, reavealing an arm covered in watches of various shapes and colors. He looked at them for a moment and gave one a hardy smack before lowering his sleeve again. "Sadly I am needed now for the sorting. Before I go I did want to remind you to be wary this year, my boy. Dont let your guard down in unfamiliar places, and try not to wander too much. Sirius knows the school very well, and while I doubt he could get in unnoticed, he may be able to reach you faster than me."

"Thank you, headmaster. Ill keep my eyes open."

"Very good! Well then, let us get back to the feast. The pumpkin juice is especially scrumptious today."

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Despite all the concern, the first few months of classes for Harry and Luna went by wonderfully. They fell back into their old routine and found themselves once again very happy to be at Hogwarts.

Most of the the students avoided him at first, thinking he would still be furious at them. Eventually he had a talk with most of Ravenclaw tower, explaining that he wanted to put it behind him, and word spread quickly that people no longer needed to avoid him. Apologies still continued to come but he found himself surrounded by cheerful friends once again. Harry was surprised he no longer wished to return to living in the tower, not to mention he was truly banished for life from House Ravenclaw. It made him sad in some ways, but it did not have as much of an impact on his life as he thought it would have. Mostly his quarters were quite a bit more sparse than before but he barely spent any time there to begin with. Luna and himself had more or less taken up residence in the private library, unknown to nearly everyone but their closest friends.

The Weasely Twins apologized several more times in the first portion of the year, going so far as to stop pulling pranks except to try and amuse Harry. He was ready to forgive them right away after the welcoming feast but Luna and himself took great pleasure in playing with them for a week. It was not long before the four were terrorizing the school once again with their pranks, though they soon found themselves a new member.

Neville Longbottom, while normally a very quite person, approached them one day asking for help with a determined look. Draco Malfoy had apparently been hounding Neville non-stop since the term began, causing his grades to slip even more than usual and leaving him looking over his shoulder all the time. It seemed that something in him finally snapped into place causing Neville to gain an amount of determination and confidence never seen before. While the newest Marauders had not known him well, the Twins assured them this was quite a change. Apparently he was friends with their brother until last year when Neville refused to actively chase down Harry with Ronald and some of the other second year Gryffindors. Harry was more than happy to help him, wether he had defended him or not, and would enjoy doing so. It was very soon that Draco was the one that found himself constantly under attack, even in most classes and one time in his own room. A shifting of power could be seen, with the blondes confidence dropping and public image crumbling away while at the same time Neville used his newfound gusto from their successful pranking to focus on his studies. The Gryffindor even received apologies from some of his classmates who had made fun of him in the past after rising quickly towards the top scores in their year. Neville's knowledge of plants also added a special flair to some of the pranks, such as beautiful looking flowers sprouting in random places around the school that when smelled would spray the persons face with all manner of nasty smells and liquids. His companionship during the groups daily adventures was welcomed and he was soon considered to be a part of the small group that the rest of the school had begun to call the "Loons" after a nickname several students tried to mock Luna with. This had however backfired when their group proudly took up the name.

Not much else had changed in class than what could be expected. Harry's additional classes and the new Defense professor being the only things of note. Arithmancy proved to be just as difficult and confusing as Harry thought it would be, but he enjoyed the challenge and had Luna to help him. Hagrid also lived up to his new title, not only an entertaining lecturer but also letting them interact with many different magical creatures. Harrys favorite class was when they were introduced to Hippogryphs, a mixture of bird and horse that could fly. He was the first of the class to befriend one called Buckbeak, who then astonishingly allowed him to climb on its back for a ride. To his further amazement, Buckbeak broke into a run and before he knew it took off from the ground.

Flying on a broom was one thing, but aboard the graceful Hippogryph he could feel the power of its wings. Buckbeak had let out a wild cry as he had climbed upwards to fly alongside one of his distant relatives, an osprey that gave a shriek at its new company in the sky. While he enjoyed most classes in general, this was easily the best class he had ever attended. Harry knew that there would be many more with Hagrid in charge.

However the biggest impact on his life came from Professor Lupin. Harry had stayed after their first class to talk to him, and had done so nearly every class after. Lupin was one of both Lily and James' best friends in school and he was glad to recount everything he could remember. Remus told him of their escapades in school, which Harry saw paralleled his own group of friends with all the pranking and general rule-breaking. While the talks were not long, with Remus being busy organizing his class schedule, they were very insightful into the life of his parents. After last year he found himself cheered up greatly, though there were times it seemed that his professor was very pained to be retelling the memories. It dawned on Harry that he could tell him that he had seen them when he died last year, but he decided it was too soon. It would not be good if he got put in a psych ward at St. Mungos.

So he kept his secrets for now, at least from everyone but Luna. The two talked about it quite often, though they both agreed it would be idiotic to try abusing unknown curses. There was absolutely no knowledge of anything of the sort at Hogwarts and even when they could acquire books outside of its walls there was nothing on any such thing happening to a wizard. Mostly he tried to ignore it, even if he didn't always do a good job.

However one thing still worried Harry, so much so that he did not even tell Luna. The glowing ball of white light still floated in the back of his mind, commanding his attention during spare moments and his dreams. Untill one night he began to have dreams of a familiar place...

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Harry watched in his dreams as an armored knight sliced his sword into the soft part at the back of a giant demons leg. The beasts massive hammer, held up to deliver a deadly blow, fell to the side as the creater fell over. The warrior wasted no time and ran to its head and plunged his sword straight into its face. With a roar that shook rubble from the walls the beast grew still and then dissolved into mist, some of which that was a brighter white collecting together before being absorbed into the warriors chest. When the glow settled all that was left in its place was a small orb of golden light, which the knight approached immediately. As he neared, Harry could see at its center a key on the ground, which the knight picked up. Without hesitation the figure, whom Harry felt sure was the one he had dreamed of before, walked over towards a closed gate on one side of the room and inserted it into the lock at its center. With some effort the warrior managed to push the doors open. Ahead of him lay a crumbling brick path leading up a hill past crumbling gravestones. As the man made his way up Harry saw that the path lead only to a drop off a cliff. If Harry had been sitting in a chair to fall out of, he would have at what happened next.

Suddenly a massive black bird flew up in front of the armor clad man and grabbed him in its giant claws. His vision faded for a moment, and it appeared that some time passed as what he saw next appeared to be the decaying city from what seemed like distant memories. The bird flew towards a spot just outside the walls, depositing its passenger in front of a lonely looking fire that burned around a broken sword. The grizzled corpse looked around for a moment, taking in his surroundings before moving up towards the fire. He placed his hand into the fire, and to Harrys immense surprise, the same sprite of white and black he had been obsessing about appeared in his hand before dissolving into the fire. Even greater was his surprise as the fire responded, surrounding the man in a colorful mist. He could see the heavy plating expand a bit, fitting a bit tighter on the stranger as well as the great sigh he let out before plopping back backwards to sit on the stones before the fire. Harry watched him sit there for a moment as the person rested and took off his helmet. While he could not see their face as viewed the scene from the back, he could see that the rotting flesh from before was replaced with healthy looking skin and dark black hair that seemed strangely familiar. Once again Harrys view of the scene began to fade, though this time it was replaced with the ceiling above his bed. His bedding was thrown off the bed soaked with sweat. Quickly he rose and went to shower and got ready for the day.

Harry was quiet during most of his classes that day. His friends inquired as to why, and accepted the somewhat truthful explanation that he hadn't slept well the night before. Really he was far from tired, his mind racing theough what the dream meant or if it was a dream at all. The next night he really did get no sleep, partially to avoid seeing more of the dream. Mostly though he though he was worrying about his sanity and wether or not that was the worst of his problems...

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A/N

Hey there sports fans!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think if you had any thinks about it.

Thanks for reading!

-Fumbls


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

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"That is the second time you have fallen asleep Mr Potter. Two nights detention with me scrubbing cauldrons should fix that behavior. Now finish your brew without doing it again or I will force feed you a dozen pepper-up potions!" Professor Snape was livid with Harry, who had just dozed off for a few seconds once again during his class that day. He busily began going back through the recipe and finding his place. Luckily a quick skim through his notes told him he hadn't fallen asleep for too long. Based on the color and consistency of his incomplete Sanfew Serum it was still usable, meaning he had only been dozing less than thirty seconds.

Thankfully he was getting a regular amount of sleep after his recent vivid dream, or at least he had not had any more. However he had spent the last night with his scar hurting and the the small ball of energy that had restored the mysterious knights humanity running through his dreams for some reason. It had weighed heavily on his thoughts afterwards as to its meaning for both the stranger and himself. Could it be that Harry would end up like he was, a decaying zombie lost of all humanity? Maybe their identical marks meant they shared a curse which drained their energy away, making them creatures that sought the strange white ovals to restore it. Could it be his subconscious telling him to collect more, and if so what even was it? Knowing his luck he would have to start killing people for it.

His mind snapped back to reality as the potion in front of him bubbled violently, meaning it was time to add the next ingredient. Harry looked up for a moment to look at Professor Snape, who glanced over at him before looking back at a Hufflepuffs cauldron that was boiling over. Harry let out a sigh of relief and went back to his classwork. For a moment he thought those pepper up potions wouldn't be a bad idea.

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Far more went on around the school than Harry, or any student, realized. It was be a shame to ignore the endless amount of adventures that each student had every year, but even Dumbledore could not keep track of them all. Especially with his own busy workload.

Professor Dumbledore primarily searched for ways that Sirius could try to enter the school. While he did not truly want to believe that the Potters old friend would try to harm their son, he did not want to leave things to chance. If he could speak to Sirius first then maybe things could be cleared up. Remus had been of great help towards this end, while also keeping an extra eye on Harry. The secretive werewolf was also greatly appreciative of the opportunity to finally be a part of the boys life.

Remus himself was also executing his own plans. While he was sure that Dumbledore knew he was withholding some information, the Headmaster made little effort to get it out of him. Lupin had his own plan to catch and confront Sirius, both to find out the truth and deal out whatever justice was deserved. Remus was however tied up with creating a proper lesson plan for each year, specifically those taking their OWL and NEWT exams. It was very apparent that the young witches and wizards of the school were alarmingly underprepared for their exams, making him wonder how any had been passing up until this point. Filius proved to be a great help with this, both with the actual planning and the popularity of the dueling club drawing more interest towards the subject. He was finding that many of the students were becoming significantly advanced in the spell casting and practical portion of Defense thanks to this, which left more time to teach about dangerous magical beings, curses, and more obscure spells to be alert for when defending from a dark wizard attack. Remus was soon with the time he needed to start privately tutoring Harry like he had hoped, finding him to be an excellent student. Harry made up for his small arsenal of spells and little experience with excellent technique and willingness to learn.

It was strange that Harry picked up a tactic not normally used by wizards anymore. Harry was unable to cast any shielding spells, which normally helped a wizard get rid of most attacks without being forced to move. Very few wizards still used leaps and rolls to avoid attacks as it required some skill to pull off in a duel, not to mention how fussy many English wizards were about their robes. Remus himself was able to dodge spells and thrown objects well above the level normal wizards could using his somewhat advanced reflexes and magically enhanced strength. He found it quite fun showing Harry some of his old battle moves from the last war. Remus was admittedly on the low end of magical strength, the curse making his body feed off of his magic, but his intelligence as well as superhuman strength and agility made him a formidable opponent. Unlike most of his kind, he was able to fight past the animal instincts that made most go insane during a battle. None of this meant that he would be able to stand up to the likes of Voldemort or even some within his inner circle, but he had survived some very dangerous fights. Harry picked up everything quickly, showing that he was light on his feet and good at predicting where curses were traveling. It was not long before most of their free time was spent lightly sparring and discussing various subjects. The Defense Professor taught Harry many things about magic such as wandwork and the history of magic outside Britain. Harry, and Luna whom accompanied him quite often, both mastered several difficult spells, the most impressive being their ability to cast a corporeal Patronus with little difficulty, though it was a bit stronger when they did it together. Remis did discover one day something almost everyone in a position like his would experience, where the student teaches something to the teacher.

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They had been practicing dodging various ways an opponent could disarm someone, such as simple hexes and charms that pulled an object out of the targets hands or manipulations of physical elements to achieve this by cursing the air around an opponents wand or encasing it in a conjured material. Harry had been relatively successful at casting counter curses or banishing charms to these while dodging further attacks. Despite this Harry was still hit quite often and made a quick decision to try something that he had been thinking of to catch Remus off guard, a prank of sorts. Blowing a block of stone into dust he jumped forward past the next spell. Remus caught this and adjusted his aim, but as he cast the spell Harry jumped to the side while casting his own spell. The tickling hex hit Remus square in the chest, while his own stunner struck into the floor. It took a few moments for Remus to cast the counter charm, but it was long enough to send Harry into a fit of normal laughter. Remus simply watched with a somewhat displeased expression that was constantly on the verge of smiling. He remembered the short discussion that followed when Harry stopped.

"What made you try that move, grow tired of being disarmed?" He had asked the still smiling boy.

"Oh no sir, its just that this lesson seemed a bit too easy for you. So I decided to give you a challenge." The smile on Harrys face as he said it sent Remus into his own burst of laughter. It was one of the funner lessons they had during the quiet first semester. By the time Harry was off to spend the christmas holidays with the Lovegoods, Remus and Harry had grown quite close. Remus spent his break keeping a watchful eye on the school, as did Dumbledore and many others. However it was while Remus slept that one of the few truly secret entrances into the school was entered.

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A/N

Just kidding, I'm not finished yet.

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Harry and Luna stepped off the Hogwarts express in Hogsmeade for the second time this year. Winter was in full swing, covering the antiquated town in a layer of shining snow. It was quite interesting to see after having spent the morning in London shopping with the Lovegoods. He had used his own money to buy a new pair of glasses, as well as some nicer clothes to replace his cousins hand me downs. London had been quite fun to explore but a bit tiring trying to navigate some of the crowded areas. There were far more people than Harry was used to being around compared to the magical portion of London or Hogwarts. Being packed in a room with the same people every day was far different than walking past hundreds of strangers.

Now aboard the carriages, Harry and Luna describing to Neville what Threstrals looked like, the Boy Who Lived saw a large black dog off at the edge of the forest. He quickly got his friends attention to see the large canine, but by the time they looked back it was gone. He described it to Luna, who immediately told him it was likely what is referred to as a Grim. They are considered bad omens, and their existence is speculated as most people who saw them were the only ones.

Without fail they were back at school in no time. Harry and his friends were excited to be back even with the strange dog fresh in their minds. The Welcoming Feast was entertaining and full of conversation like always and the food delicious. It was after the feast that Harry found himself going to his room, which had frustratingly changed locations since the start of break. Luckily the Marauders Map showed him were it was, and so he walked down a dimly lit corridor towards its new location with his wand lighting up a few feet in front of him. His heart stopped as he saw the glint of eyes up ahead in the darkness, barely there for a moment. Harry quickly ran the other direction, but had been knocked out by a spell before he even turned around.

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Thanks again for reading,

-Fumbls


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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"So, it seems you are awake." However cliche the words were, Harry ignored it and opened his eyes which he had only just realized were still closed. He sat in a dusty looking room, with rotting bed and furniture all around. In front of him stood a similarly dusty and ragged looking man whom he immediately recognized from the Daily Prophet as Sirius Black. Sweat started to drip down his neck as he tried to think of an answer. He also noticed that he was unrestrained, though he did not think he was in a position to take advantage of that yet.

"You're Sirius Black. Did you betray my parents?" Was all the boy could think of. The escaped convict gave him a very startled look followed by one of sadness.

"No Harry, it was not me. Your parents entrusted the secret of their location to another named Peter Pettigrew. He sold them out to the Dark Lord, after which I pursued him to get vengeance. It was then that he blew himself and a street full of muggles up, or so we thought. He's still alive, and if we catch him I can prove my innocence. Does any of this make sense?"

"Yes, it does in fact. I spend enough time looking at the Marauders map to have seen what I thought was that name on several occasion. Ill need more than that to believe you though." This had not been the way he thought this conversation would go at all. However he had no option but to continue with it for the time being. Not to mention the name Peter Pettigrew was indeed a mystery that he wanted to solve.

"Well, I didn't tie you up did I?"

"No, but that doesnt excuse the kidnapping."

"Right, well you do have me there. But you are free to go if you want. It would be best if I showed you how though."

"No, I'll stay for now. Do you know anything more about where Peter is then?" Harry was very unsure as to what Sirius' intentions were but he felt sure the man wasn't lying. He did also make a good point about not tying him up or actually harming him yet despite having claimed he felt otherwise.

"Yes, it was quite shocking that Im the one who discovered it actually. I saw a newspaper in prison, having kept my sanity using my animagus form to keep the Dementors away-"

"Thats brilliant! They dont go after anything but humans."

"Yes, you have no idea how pleased I was that it worked. If not I would likely still be there, and at least not in any shape to be of help. Anyway, it was at the end of last summer that I saw a newspaper. On the cover was a picture of a family that won some sort of prize. One of the boys, whom looked to be about your age, was holding a rat. A rat that looked identical to Peter Pettigrews Animagus form lacking one of its toes, the same one that was all that could be found of him after the explosion."

"What did the family look like? Im sure I know them. If what you're saying is true, all we need to do is kidnap a rat."

"They were the Weaselys I believe, or at least I recognized the older ones. The one holding the rat had to be close to your age."

"Ronald Weasely, one of the Gryffindors. I could steal the rat and bring it back here,"

"Thank you Harry, this-"

"With Professor Lupin. Its the only way I could trust you enough to come back." Sirius took a moment of deliberation, but soon looked up with a smile.

"If you get the rat first and explain things to him quickly for me then ill agree. Otherwise im coming with you, which ill immediately admit is a silly idea."

"Im sure that could be arranged. Im going to need my wand back though."

"Of course," Sirius handed him back his wand. "Now I think you'll find it easiest if I show you the way back."

He had proceeded to lead him down a long tunnel that apparently lead to just outside the Hogwarts grounds. He was surprised when he poked his head out the end to look up and see he was right below the womping willow. The tree twitched at his presence, but didn't start trying to attack him yet. Sirius gave him a wink before conjuring a rock to hit a knot in the trunk of the tree. The immense willow tree immediately stiffened up, at which point Sirius told him to bring Remus and Pettigrew back tomorrow before midnight. He gave Harry a hug which was somewhat returned, and wished him luck. Harry then ran back to the castle, careful to avoid any wandering monitors or students. Once he was back in his room, he began to plan for the next night.

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Harry crept as quietly as he could underneath the invisibility cloak. When he reached the point of the staircase that lead to a door which affirmed he was outside the third floor dormitory, he sent a signal to Luna via the device Fred and George made for them that paired two coins to glow slightly when either holder touched their wand to one. Checking the map at the edge of the light cast from a torch in the wall he saw that Peter was sitting still only a few feet from the door. Harry watched for a few moments before deciding that he must be asleep and crept to the side of the doorway. Right on time, an alarm went off signaling that there was a fire in the tower, a false alarm set off by his partner in mischief. A minute later the door opened beside Harry and the third year Gryffindor boys shuffled out. None of them noticed Harry or that he slipped in the doorway behind them before it closed.

He immediately saw the still sleeping form of Wormtail and smiled at how easily the murderer would be caught. Like he had practiced, Harry stunned the rat and then bound it somewhat tightly with small ropes before finally conjuring a metal cage to hold him in. It took him two tries to get the cage right, but his second attempt was usable. Taking a quick look around he noticed Neville looking at him with both surprise and amusement. Harry was about to say something before his friend interrupted him.

"I know you have a good reason to do all that, which is why I'm going to come with you." Harry didn't know what to say at first, but decided it would be fine.

"Okay, but you should know this isn't a prank. This could get dangerous, however i could use your help."

"Good, so where are we taking Ron's rat?"

"Professor Lupin, I have something to tell him and now you. First we have to sneak out of here, which means getting under the cloak and leaving now."

"Alright lets get going. They should be coming back in a moment. I made a dummy out of my pillows while you were busy being sneaky."

"Less talk more sneaking then."

The two were fortunate enough to exit the tower and make their way to Professor Lupins office without interruption. They were about an hour away from midnight and the halls were unusually dark. Harry remarked that there was no moon out, which cant really happen and is just a literary way of saying "No Remus will not be turning into a werewolf and throwing a wrench into things."

Upon entering the classroom and his office, Harry took off the cloak from the two. Luna stood staring at jars of miscellaneous creatures, and Remus sat behind his desk looking worried. Upon seeing that Harry was alright, and brought Neville, he seemed to be somewhat more at ease. That was gone in a moment after Harry calmly placed the cage holding Peter on the table.

"First of all," started Harry, "it would be best if you could secure that rat better. Second of all that rat is Peter Pettigrew." He could tell that Remus connected all the dots even before he said anything. Upon seeing the rat he had likely already known it all. Without saying anything he stood up and cast two spells at the rat. One made sure that it was in a deep sleep, the other changed the cage into one both smaller and made of thick bars of metal. He then picked it up and turned towards Harry.

"Where is Sirius?"

"The Shrieking Shack of course." Harry smiled brightly and began to lead his professor out to the grounds, where he threw a rock at the knot in the Whomping Willow. The group, including a bewildered Neville and Luna giggling at the way the tree was standing so still. After traversing the cramped underground passage to the shack, Remus pulled out his wand. He motioned for them to stay back while he crept up to the door. He spokes loudly into the room, "Sirius, if you're innocent place your wand on the floor and step away from it."

"Okay Moony." Replied Sirius. "Im glad you at least believe me somewhat."

"Im coming in." Replied Remus flatly. In one motion he turned the knob and entered the room. He held his wand up even though Sirius was clearly standing back away from his wand on the floor. Harry, Luna, and Neville crowded in the doorway. Harry kept his wand out and entered the room, looking at Sirius for a moment, and then the still form of Peter in his cage. Luna and Neville stood back, but both felt comfortable with Lupin around. Sirius was looking at nothing but the cage.

"Thats him, that Wormy little bastard. We should get rid of him now, but first we must get the truth out of him." Sirius said, looking a bit crazy for a moment. However he calmed down just as quickly. "No, we shouldn't do that to a friend, even if he betrayed us. Azkaban may be even worse for him anyway."

"Im glad to see that you are still sane after so long in that horrible place." Remus cast a spell at Sirius that would retrieve any wands he might be hiding. Nothing happened though, and the escaped inmate looked back at the cage.

"Yes, it seems that the Animagus training is useful for many things. Enough of that though, conjure up a bigger cage and let us wake this creature from his peaceful sleep."

Remus went to work immediately, conjuring metal and transfiguring it into a small cage bolted to the floor. It was just large enough for a person to stand in, and had no door. It was made of both thick solid bars and metal wire run in between. The smaller cage and bonds were then vanished. A further spell was cast that reversed the Animagus transformation, expanding the rat into a very dirty looking little man sleeping on the floor. His hands were tied with another spell, and a final one woke him from his slumber.

What followed was quite possibly the easiest and most predictable confession ever obtained. It consisted of Wormtail breaking down immediately and then telling them everything, all of which they had already known. It was then followed by a short and very heartfelt apology, and a request to be taken to trial immediately. When he had his say he simply hung his head down. Everyone else in the room looked at each other, before Remus simply said "Thank you for making this easy in the end."

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The next day was very hectic for everyone involved with that night, besides Neville who ended up only being called as a brief witness to testify what happened. Sirius and Wormtail were both taken into custody soon after the first confession. They were both then immediately interrogated with veritus serum, providing the DMLE a solid case to go by. A trial was then called to be held later that morning.

To say it simply, Harry thought the whole ordeal was terrible. Everyone was yelling for a while, as the newspapers had gotten word of the trial and flocked to it immediately. When it started they were all quite, buf before and after it was chaos. He was asked to be interviewed by several people, all of whom he rejected, then there were various politicians and ministry workers there who wanted to see him, which got embarrassing after getting praised rather loudly several times. Luna and Neville also got their fair share, but nothing like him.

Remus was mostly absent from the proceedings, as his status as a werewolf kept him from being a "reliable" witness. He was glad he hadn't told Harry yet, but felt that the time was soon coming, especially with Sirius about to be free.

Sirius himself got the most attention besides when Wormtail gave his testimony. It was quite a surprise to see him mostly well, but it also meant that he would be taking control of the large amount of wealth and power his family held. This was however the last thing on his mind, the first and only thing being freedom. He hadn't smiled so hard since long before his incarceration. He waved at Harry several times, and realized sometime during the trial that he hadn't told Harry he was his godfather. With his new status as a free man and his title as head of house Black, he would be more than able to take in the boy.

When he was officially announced free, there was actually quite a bit of applause. Wormtail was sentenced to forty years in Azkaban, and said nothing when being taken away. The Prime minister himself even gave a formal apology to Sirius, though nobody seemed to care. Sirius ran up and gave everyone who helped the night before hugs, before dragging them all out of the courtroom away from the cameras and shouting. It was not long before they were all Apparated to a place somewhere else in London called Grimmauld Place. Sirius had to whisper to each of them the name of the place, after which it seemed to expand the whole block of houses and slide into place. Sirius told them to wait a moment before running inside. He came back out after a minute with a small pouch and said "Probably best not to go there yet. How about a trip to Diagon Alley?"

Following a round of cheers, they all Apparated once again to the Leaky Cauldron and entered the Alley. The group spent some time wandering the shops, Sirius frightening more than a dozen people so much that they ran away. Aurors came to investigate, but upon seeing him simply started yelling for everyone to go read the prophet and mind their own business. Remus took the three youngest off to some shops while Sirius visited Gringotts for an hour. Afterwards they all spent the rest of the day shopping for things Sirius needed, or wanted, and catching him up on the world.

However the day did have to end, and most of them would be returning to school the next day. With a round of hugs and farewells Sirius Apparated back to his home, while the rest went to Hogsmeade and began the walk back up to the castle.

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	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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While years in the past had gone by somewhat slowly, the second half of Harrys third year passed in what seemed like no time at all.

The classes themselves were all challenging in their own ways. Despite this Harry and his friends were not left wanting more time to study and finish assignments. He also found that while most of the classes had been somewhat basic, they were all picking things up a bit as they progressed into their fourth year. Transfiguration and Charms were impossibly hard at times and both teachers started demanding they do larger essays more and more. Flitwick and Mcgonagall had come to somewhat neutral terms with Harry, though each of them tried their best to keep making things better.

Defense was not anymore difficult than usual, but with both the class being taught better and the widespread popularity of the dueling club everyone was spending a lot of time on it. Many of the older years were quite grateful for this, as they had gone through many Defense professors that had been quite incompetent.

Potions perhaps changed the most for once, the return of not one but two of the Marauders put the Potions Master on edge. Snape was never unfair to a degree that Harry could complain about, but there was a readiness the Professor had just before reprimanding him that Harry noticed. Still he managed to do well in the class, and by the end of the year even Snape seemed to let things go.

Dumbledore wandered in and out of Harrys life. It was not uncharacteristic for the Headmaster to accompany him and Luna on their wanderings even. It amused the old wizard to find that the children were able to see the secrets of the castle better than even himself. He was keenly aware of Luna's ability to see what others could not, as she would sometimes point at spots where nothing could be seen normally. With a spell on his glasses they detected small amounts of magic in most of the places she claimed these things to be. Later study into the matter uncovered nothing other than the potential she had an extremely rare gift yet to be discovered. Dumbledore was sure that he would have time to go into further study during the summer and possibly gleam something about the girl.

While his findings on Luna were potentially good, he grew more concerned about Harry. The curse mark Voldemort left was changing slightly, despite Harrys attempt to hide it. If one looked closely enough at the right time, which few did, a small ring of fire could be seen burning around the edge of the hole. Dumbledore knew this could not be a good sign, but Harry was otherwise unchanged. If anything the boy seemed happier than before, and with Sirius taking over guardianship of him he was sure that would only deepen.

Dumbledore did notice the change in another child, Neville Longbottom. It seemed that something in the boy changed over the last year. It undoubtably had to do with the series of pranks that occurred during most of the first and second semesters. Whatever happened had a very positive effect on him. His grades rose considerably, as well as him having quite a bit of success in the dueling club. Dumbledore hoped that something could be done to heal his parents minds so that they could see how much he was taking after them. He made plans for Sirius to comb through his family's libraries and vaults for a book that described the curse used by Bellatrix to torment the two into insanity.

All but a few students left that year with smiles. Hogwarts was quickly getting far more fun than it had been in a long time. Even the ghosts seemed more cheerful as they bid farewell to the students entering carriages home. Harry nearly forgot that he would be going home with Sirius now but spent the last half hour of the ride talking about it.

Sirius and Harry both laughed like children and ran at each other when he got off the express. For the rest of the summer the pair were nearly inseparable. Sirius wanted nothing more than to spend time with his godson, and Harry wanted to have a happy home. While Sirius had some business every day that needed attending to in order to run the familys holdings, or at least try and get them back up and running, he did get to spend quite a bit of time mentoring Harry throughout their first summer together. Remus visited all the time, as did the Lovegoods on several occasions. He went along with his godfather to a few meetings at the ministry, though they both disliked the amount of attention it drew.

Sirius wasted no time in training Harry in combat as well. He knew that Voldemort still lived somewhere, or at least was very certain he did. Wether he was or not, dark wizards would likely go after Harry anyway. Another war breaking out was inevitable as well. Sirius wanted Harry to be ready for anything, and so taught him the art of dueling like a Black.

This involved quite a bit of time and effort, but Harry was eager to learn more about dueling. Sirius was pleased to see that Harry was at an advanced level for his age which sped things up a bit. Harry was unable still to cast shields, which was sadly half of his family's typical style. This left teaching his god son the obscure spells that their family used. Many were hard to counter or dodge, and he was certain that some of the nastier ones might be illegal. Sirius considered the best way to learn how to defend from curses was to learn what they did and how to cast them. He didn't show him anything lethal or too gruesome yet though. The final part of Harrys training was a somewhat strange method that his family used. At around Harrys age and skill level the child would be given free access to the family Library. They were given the goal of studying various witches and wizards styles of dueling and spell repertoires. Harry actually laughed in glee when Sirius showed him the large room full of unique and magical tomes. Sirius told him to be careful, but that he had gone over every book at some point and found nothing cursed or trapped.

For several hours a day after that Harry spent his time reading through the various books. It was immediately upon starting that he picked up a small and battered journal that sat atop other shelved books on a bottom shelf, where it was impossible to see and could easily be missed unless laying on the floor like he had been doing. It was in english, though definitely from long ago based on the complexity of the words. His knowledge of Latin helped him figure out that it was part of a mans journal. It was confusing at first, talking about some strange place he had never heard of and a disease or famine. Most of the part that Harry got was some sort of battle guide the man wrote, detailing how he used magic to fight what sounded like horrible creatures and Inferni soldiers. There was only a small list of spells that the man used, but it detailed many different ways to use each one. Primarily there seemed to be spells which shot balls of magical energy at an opponent. One variation even sent several balls of energy to float around the caster which would then automatically fly at nearby opponents. One of the more interesting spells was a series of charms that created a strong magical shield for the caster. They seemed to require an actual physical shield, but supposedly the most basic could be cast by almost anyone. Its partner spell was one that enhanced ones weapon, such as a sword or spear, with magical energy. While enchanting a sword didn't seem necessary, he did try the shielding variation on a small wooden shield he conjured. Nothing happened, but then he decided to try a metal shield from the hallway. While it was decorative, the spell took effect on it as it sat on the wall causing it to glow a faint blue. Next Harry had the great idea to try casting the most basic attack spell from the book. A bright blue arrow of magic shot out from the end of his wand, leaving a trail of light behind it. The spell hit the shield dead on and fizzled out harmlessly against it. Feeling bold, he tried casting the next spell on the list, which blew a hole through the wall and smashed the shield into nothing. Sirius simply laughed after rushing up the stairs and then told him to keep up the good work.

Spells were not the only thing the book outlined. It also described different tactics and general information one would need to know when fighting against all sorts of opponents. Harry was somewhat confused by the names given to some creatures, and was sure that many didn't exist. Harry was mostly concerned with other wizards and did find much about them. There were far more styles of magical fighters back then it seemed, as he read about wizards who used things such as lightning and fire as well as the spells the author used. Many with magical talent also used swords and conventional weaponry alongside their magic. Very few were purely magical fighters, as magic could be negated and dodged quite easily if one was not careful or skilled. Archers were seemingly quite deadly to most wizards, though swordsman were left at a disadvantage unless able to get close. Some of the writers words about closing the distance on a target stuck with Harry, and he began working them into his own style.

The project in general was quite fun, and he spent quite a bit of time pouring over the books in the library to find spells that fit how he liked to duel. Sadly much of it was far out of his skill level for now but this only made him more excited to keep finding more. He was careful to keep the journal piece with him at all time though. The spells inside were immensely powerful and easy to learn, once the way to do so was described, but he also felt the words were strangely familiar. Especially some of the creatures descriptions.

Otherwise Harry began to experience some of the luxuries of living in a wealthy household. The Blacks were basically royalty as far as money was concerned, though the family name had lost quite a bit of its power. Harry got what was basically an entirely new wardrobe, though he preferred the simple and cheap muggle clothing. He did purchase a few sets of robes, but once again ended up buying a more muggle style set that was more a jacket with a longer tail. Sirius said it was quite stylish and made him look dashing. Harry himself thought it was very comfortable when compared to the longer stuffy robes that were the normal style and wore these new ones often. Sirius tried to shower him with gifts for a time but saw Harry never wanted anything besides a few books and a better potions set.

On Harrys birthday at the end of the summer the Lovegoods and Remus arrived for a party. Soon Neville and his Grandmother followed, whom immediately started chatting with Harry and proclaiming that he helped her "dear Neville" find his courage. The Lovegoods brought a dessert made from plums and got Harry a necktie that changed color and pattern at the users will. Luna gifted him a painting she drew of Hogwarts which Sirius thought was so good he demanded it be placed in the sitting room. Neville gave him a plant that emmited a pollen at night that helped those nearby sleep, which embarrassed Harry slightly but he was very thankful for the gift. It proved to be very effective in the years to come, though some nightmares require more to get rid of.

Mrs Longbottom had for him a special gift that came very unexpectedly. Through whatever sources she had, Augusta had found a portrait of James done after the death of Harrys grandfather. Both Harry and the portrait were speechless for a moment after seeing each other. The teenage version of James was not the best at acting fatherly as he was nearly the same age as his son. He was however very good at making Harry laugh with his jokes made at the expense of Remus and Sirius, whom had aged quiet considerably since the paintings time. Augusta had not even realized how much it meant to the boy, but said that it was the least she owed him and his family.

Remus, having some difficulty over the mocking of James, gave Harry the Marauders map. At first he was a bit confused, not knowing that Remus knew about or had the map, but when he opened it he was astonished at what he saw. Remus had changed the map to not only show Hogwarts, but also nearly anywhere else as well. There were also far more detailed versions of the icons that displayed people in the area, indicating if the person was standing, sitting, or lying down. Remus explained that it might not work everywhere or show everyone, but it could be upgraded in the future if he ever wanted to work on it himself.

Sirius was the last to offer Harry a present, which he did with a snap of his fingers. Instantly a broom flew down the stairs and into his hand, which he then held down to Harry. It was a Firebolt which even Harry knew as the best on the market. He didn't get a chance to ride it until the next day, but it was an impressive broom. Harry couldn't wait to show it off to the Quidditch team and use it as a fast getaway for pranking.

With the kids all packed up and ready, it seemed quite a shock that the summer had ended. Harry and Luna were both very excited to be going back, as was Neville for the most part. He had been at the world cup and was still a bit uneasy after seeing a group of wizards dressed as Death Eaters terrorize the place before casting the dark mark into the sky. Neville knew that before he would have been frightened, but now it made him want to fight them even more. Up until recently he hadn't truly accepted the fact that the Dark Lord might come back, and it made him realize that there might be some at Hogwarts who join his cause. The trio had discussed this, the adults as well, and decided they needed to start getting ready now.

With trunks full of study material and belongings, the three stepped back aboard the express. Of course, as they would find once again, things rarely ever go well for Harry on the train ride back to Hogwarts.

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A/N

Sorry about these updates taking so long. I promise some progress is being made to the story past chapter 30, just not in a way thats bring chapter 31 sooner. Also I am certainly aware that these updates have made the story far from perfect, both technically and gramatically. A lot of the delay is due to work, some is due to recently turning 21, and even more is due to stressing over trying to get into school after three years of thinking it wouldnt be possible. Anyway thats enough of my personal problems. Feel free to keep reading if you dont mind a somwhat rough story, I really appreciate it. Just know this is truly leading to something worthwhile even if im taking my time.

-Fumbls


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

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Sirius trudged up the stairs of his home past the portrait of his mother whom gave him a distasteful look but otherwise said nothing, a side effect of his recent acquiring of lordship over House Black. He felt extremely tired by the time he reached the door that lead to his office and was somewhat thankful that as rightful head of house his mother's portrait kept quiet. His office door unlocked as he placed his hand on the knob and the Black family ring touched the metal. The office was dimly lit, as it was meant to be, but he was immediately able to pick out the form of a person sitting in the guest chair to his left. With his hands full of paperwork and belongings, he wasted no time making a mess by dropping everything and pulling out his wand to confront the intruder.

"Why hello there, excuse me for not knowing I had a visitor. Would you mind if I place my things down and turn on the lights?" He turned somewhat to face the stranger, whom waved a hand in the darkness towards the large desk as they replied. They gave a quick chuckle before waving a hand in the air and illuminating the mess on the floor.

"Of course, Lord Black." Was all they said, their voice mostly neutral but slightly amused sounding. Sirius calmly walked to his desk and pretended to organize what belongings he normally kept on the surface in front of him. Afterwards he snapped his fingers, turning on the lights and turned his chair to properly face the trespasser. His visitor appeared to be a somewhat older wizard, probably over a hundred years old by the fading beard and keen eyes. However he had a strong and youthful look like an aging hit-wizard, with leather robes under his cloak that were clearly some sort of armor. "I hope you will excuse my intrusion, but I believe it is customary for Lords of houses to shelter their family when visiting from abroad."

"Really, you are a Black? What is your name, I don't recall any uncles who lived outside of England and Scotland." Sirius ran through the motions of pulling out his wand and diving to the side in his mind, ready to dodge and defend in the case this was a ruse. If this man was a Black then he was likely dangerous in some way, and if not then he was up to something and not to be trusted. He began to come up with a plan to determine his trustworthiness as soon as possible.

"Volans Black, third son of your uncle Phineas. He faked his death to escape his family and had me soon after."

"I am familiar with who Phineas was, but my family has done its best to rid itself of his memory. You can see there on the tapestry his is now one of the few names left, though I would be glad to add yours if you really are a Black." Sirius had taken care to remove all the names from the tree but those that had been previously removed. Mostly this was a test, as any who tried to falsely get their named placed on the tapestry would be killed. Volans stood and put his hand to the tapestry over the name of Phineas. Immediately the name "Volans Black" appeared, along with a simple "Katrina" that filled in the spot for his mother.

"So, it would seem that you are my great uncle." Sirius continued, slightly relaxing in his chair. "What brings you to our home this evening?"

"Right to the point then, I'm sure we will get to know each other later. However I would like to say it is a pleasure to meet you, I had thought all the other Blacks were dead or in prison."

"Yes, me and Andromeda are still both sane and out of jail. I was locked in Azkaban under false charges, but recently managed to escape and then prove my innocence."

"Yes, I read all about it in the Prophet. Quite an interesting tale. It is most of the reason why I am here actually."

"And why is that?" The newest Lord of House Black could tell this man meant no harm and could not help but succumb to his curious nature.

"Well, I must first explain why my father faked his own death, and a bit about my life afterwards. This is both to let you get to know my life and to show you some trust with private information." Volans paused for a moment, waiting for a signal from Sirius to continue. It made the ex prisoner realize that his relative followed the old ways as much as possible. "Phineas had been cast out of the family for supporting muggle rights, as I am sure you know, and feared he would even be attacked. Phineas moved off to Finland, shortly afterwards then meeting my mother and eventually having me. I went to school in secret at Durmstrang, and while there excelled in the courses teaching battle magic, partially due to the training my father gave me in the Black family style. I assume you went through the same?"

"Of course I did. Served me quite well in the war when I used it against the others who I was taught with even if they didn't intend for me to use it that way."

"Well, there were those at Durmstrang who took notice of me. I was approached just before graduating by a man who offered to train me and give me a job in a private military. I of course accepted his offer immediately as my fatherhad recently passed away and had few other options. This is where I must pause and ask for you to tell no one with a magical oath. Not even Harry or Mr. Lupin."

"Will this information bring danger towards my family, our family?" Volans, even under a hood, took a moment to question this before continuing.

"In part that is why I ask this of you, but I must also maintain my own secrecy to protect others I hold dear. We are unsure as to how our return would be taken this time."

"Well then, I'll listen to what you have to say and give an oath afterwards. If need be I give you permission to remove my memory of the conversation."

"That wiłl do considering what I am about to tell you." Volans hands rose to a steep in front of his head for a moment before continuing. "So, after I accepted the offer I was flown away to a secret facility. There were dozens of people my age there and we all began learning the various arts of war that were common at the time. Battle magic, tactics, unarmed combat; it was very apparent they expected war to break out soon and were looking to train the best fighters in Europe. At this time most of us had little experience in anything besides casting magic learned at our primary schools. I personally learned everything from sword fighting and jousting to advanced magic, strategy, and even a physical fitness standard was required."

"Sounds like what my instructors told us they went through during Auror training. I can assume what all this was for then."

"Indeed, they were training us to be fighters like your Aurors, though our goal was not quite so straightforward. After graduation we would pay them back while working for various law enforcement, military, or other mercenary groups. However as I progressed in my training the leaders approached me and offered to let me into their private army. It was an honor really, as they only took the best. I trained there for another year, after which time I was inducted into their ranks early and moved to their main base and training facility; a castle and village called Ardone in northern France. Back then it was nearly a medieval township with knights in armor and horse drawn carts. I was probably only twenty-two at the time I finished all my training to be accepted into their brotherhood. After that I was a foot soldier for nearly three years, fighting in a group of fifteen against dark wizards in Europe. When I was twenty six they made me an officer, at which point some of the german wizards who I went to school with began a war on Europe, convincing the muggle government to do so as well." Volans paused for a moment, clearly in thought about events of the past. He clenched his hands a few times before releasing a pent breath.

"The first great war? I cant even imagine what that was like."

"Truly that was a terrible war, one which magic could have saved countless non magical soldiers lives. Sadly we were sworn to secrecy from the general public and restricted to fighting only when the Germans used magic. Our non magical allies would never have fully accepted us at that time. Im glad to say my fellow mercenaries were a big help in ending the war; our array of weaponry and diversity winning out over their larger numbers. Among us were many American wizards who used rifles and pistols enchanted with magic somehow, a secret only them and the Russians knew at the time. There were of course others from all over the continent, and I blended in as a Finnish immigrant to hide my history as a Black from the British wizards. After the war ended we went back to France and things returned to a normal routine, or at least as much as possible. We were considered heroes by most of the countries and given various honors but kept ourselves out of the picture where we could. By the time that Grindelwald fellow came around I was an old man by our standards and was just starting my new role training troops. It wasn't long before they called many of us veterans back in to battle though, and once again we fought throughout Europe. This time however the German Nazis were a formidable force, and combined with the large amount of stolen magic knowledge and artifacts from all over Europe they were becoming too much to fight. It was shocking that the Americans came and gave us the extra push we needed to press the Nazis and Grindelwald back into Germany and eventually off the face of the earth. Never was happy how the Russians government got out of answering for some of their crimes but many of their soldiers were damn fine men. It was one month after the war ended that things for us changed changed drastically. A German wizard of some importance had been working out a deal with one of our members to get us to take the blame for several things himself and the men under his command had done. They were able to keep their plan a secret, and disappeared like ghosts after taking action. Only a day after they finished their plans that the Americans and British forces came for us. What was blamed on us exactly I do not know, but it was enough to have them come in force and without hesitation to kill. I was away and so missed the battle, but none there or at our other strongholds were left alive; crushed by the two superpowers. I went into hiding until recently, making moves when other survivors contacted me. We have since built a fortress and begun searching for new recruits to our cause. We wish to once again fight the darkness of this world, and would ask you to join us, or at least give whatever support you can." Sirius realized he had been sitting forward in his leather chair by the end of the speech. Sitting back and letting out a huff he took a moment to consider Volans offer, looking at the mans dark eyes for any signs of trickery.

"That was quite an incredible tale. I do not know much about the earlier wars besides the basics, but I know there are not many who survived fighting in both. As for your offer, I have to ask why I would help you fight? I have no need for money and truly want little more than to keep Harry safe in the next civil war we are going to force ourselves into one way or another. If the Dark Lord returns Harry will be in even great danger. I could not leave for some time and do not plan to."

"What if I said the first thing on our agenda after recruitment and training is to stop Voldemort and whatever plans he tries to accomplish." Sirius stopped to think for the first time in a while during the conversation. "His return poses the greatest threat to both the magical and mundane sides of Western Europe."

"I will trust you for now, but what are you going to expect of me?"

"First you will get an evaluation to check up on your skills, which I am sure are a bit rusty-"

"You have no idea." Laughed Sirius, his shoulder aching just thinking about all the casting he would have to do.

"-and then be placed into training. At your level I doubt this will take long, though the physical portion may still be difficult for you yet."

"I have recovered surprisingly well actually. Ill never be in my twenties again, but then again neither will you." They both laughed at this, sounding almost exactly alike. "Actually," Sirius continued after they stopped, "I was wondering how you seem to know so much about me?"

"Simple, I talked to that hilarious portrait of James over on the wall. I almost want to bring him with me." At this point the portrait, that Sirius forgot about, spoke up.

"Please let me go, they said I could be put next to a large painting of a Quidditch game!"

"Wait, they?" Sirius looked in the other corner and saw he had missed a witch in dressed similar garb to her partner laughing silently. She gave him a smile before speaking.

"You have failed the first test, Initiate Black."

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Harry fought back the urge to scowl as he looked down at the form of Draco, who had been using a cheap invisibility cloak to spy on their compartment. The Boy Who Lived had to admit he was impressed that the snake had managed to sneak in without being noticed.

"How did you get in here? Do not lie to me or ill hex your bits off."

"You w-wouldnt dare Potter!" Draco shot back. With a flick of his wand Harry sent a spark flying right into Draco's trousers, causing the boy to jump off the ground even from his seated position.

"Bloody hell, fine it was a seventh year. They cast a notice-me-not charm on me after I put the cloak on and I slipped in with you guys." Harry gave him a calculating look and leaned down to stare closely into the blondes face.

"Fine, but don't let me catch you spying on us again. I have nothing to hide from you, but I also want nothing to do with you. So leave me and my friends alone or next time that bolt will be so big your pants catch on fire." Harry then stood and left the compartment, heading to catch up with his friends. He looked back to see Draco limp out of the compartment a moment later and head in the other direction.

Just as Harry was about to leave the train a hand grabbed his arm and spun him to the side. Giving him a stern glare was a short witch with bright pink hair and several piercings; both quite rare sights in magical Britain. Harry opened his mouth to say something but she immediately spoke up and beat him to it.

"Harry Bloody Potter, what are you doing on the train alone right before it takes off back to London?"

"U-um I was just grabbing a textbook that I dropped back in my compartment. I was just about to jump off at the next door."

"Well-" Began the witch, before Neville suddenly jumped into the entrance nearby.

"Harry, we were waiting for you. Who are you?" He noticed the woman and put both his hands at his sides a bit closer towards his pockets.

"Im an Auror, you can call me Tonks. Im a friend of Dumbledore, and Sirius for that matter, so you can trust me. Ask either of them about me and we'll talk more later. Now run off before the train leaves." With that she raised her wand and disappeared with a small crack. Harry wasted no time grabbing Neville and running off the train and down to the carriages. On the way he told Neville not to talk about it yet to the others.

The groups ride back to the castle was as magical as always, the light of the moon shining off the lake and castle.

For Harry the reflection of its white glow on the black lake changed as he stared into its depths. That is until a chocolate frog jumped into his face.

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A/N

Sorry if this is a bit short or the length of a certain characters dialogue is too much. Ill be out with more soon. Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

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"...announce that Hogwarts is proud to once again be holding the-"

Dumbledores speech was cut short by the doors of the great hall slamming open. The whole school turned to look at the strange man who entered. He had a pronounced limp and was covered in a multitude of scars. One of his eyes appeared to be some sort of magical device attached to his head like a false eye. Dumbledore only smiled as the large man aproached.

"Let me introduce to you all your knew Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Allastor Moody." There was only light applause from the school, as they had all been expecting Lupin to return. He had become a favorite of the students, but they were not given a reason to his absence. Harry was most puzzled, as Remus said nothing about that morning when he had seen him off. The schools concerns were soon taken elsewhere as the Headmaster spoke up again.

"As I was saying, this year Hogwarts shall be holding the Tri-Wizard Tournament, in partnership of course with Durmstrang and Beauxbaton..." Harry was unable to hear any more of the actual speech as every student around him broke out into whispers. It was not long before he though he had a good understanding what all that meant. As soon as he heard about the age limit he started to completely ignore the thought. He wanted nothing to do with fame or had any need for more money. The rest of his group likewise cared little about the announcement, except of course for Fred and George. They took it as a challenge to try and find a way around whatever defenses would be placed around the goblet.

Harry and Luna were more worried about Remus the rest of the night than the tournament. This however didn't stop them from spending their first night back exploring an abandoned cellar near the back of the castle. They found nothing of value, but the night was well spent.

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Harrys first defense class of the year was nearly disastrous. If one wanted to they could even say it was, as Neville did end up in the infirmary and a life was lost.

It started with a very threatening entrance and following entrance speech from Professor Moody. Not that that was enough, but the man began casting some of the Unforgivable Curses on and eventually killing a spider right in front of them. Draco was also encouraged by the talk about the torture curse to bring to light what happened to Neville's parents to the whole class. After Neville got up and was halfway through issuing the Slytherin a challenge to duel Professor Moody stunned him. Unfortunately Neville hit his head on the corner of a desk during his unconscious fall and was sent to the Nurse.

Besides a somewhat poor start to Defense, the rest of his classes started off swimmingly. Hagrid was especially excited to tell Harry that he would be helping with the tournament after their fist class. He promised to let Harry in on whatever he could, promising there would be many surprises in store.

There was little else in Harry's life that most would find interesting, at least compared to other parts of his life. Harry also had two great friends in Luna and Neville, who were both intelligent and fun. The three of them were an odd bunch, but they worked well together and went on endless adventures through the castle. This year seemed like it was going to be a good one for the first several weeks.

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Harry was quite entertained during the welcoming feast for Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. He was soon embarrassed however when several of the french witches sitting at the Ravenclaw table decided to surround him and start asking him questions. They insisted on doing this for the rest of the night and at breakfast the next day. He tolerated it to try and show courtesy to the schools guests and eventually they did calm down and simply take up seats with himself and his friends.

The addition of the two schools students was exciting for the regular inhabitants of Hogwarts. Their classes increased somewhat in difficulty and length, though he wasn't sure if that was normal. There were some minor fights and arguments but for the most part things were peaceful. Fred and George attempted to place their names in the cup by animating mannequins to walk over and place it in. It was quite funny to watch the two large dolls dance around the circle in woman lingerie the twins "found" before jumping inside the glowing ring. They lasted one more step before predictably disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Before long it was the night the contenders for the tournament were being chosen. Harry payed attention to what names were said and clapped along with the rest, but was really in a staring contest with Luna that had been going on for over an hour. He tuned out the noise as the clapping for Cedric died, as he could congratulate him later, but his concentration broke as he heard a fourth name be called. He didnt hear it well the first time, but after his eyes looked up he knew he heard it correctly. Then Dumbledore said it again, a bit angrily this time:

"Neville Longbottom!"

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A/N

Just wanted to get this much out so I can focus on the rest of the year. I hope you've enjoy this so far and thank you for reading.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Im excited to be at this point in the story. Have I ever said I love dragons? Fire Drakes are great too.

Warning: Dragons

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Numerous rumors circled around the school like a lit bag of wizard fireworks in the aftermath of the Tri-Wizard Champions anouncement. Everyone wanted to know what really caused Neville to become one of the tri-, now Quad-, wizard champions. Many thought it was pretty close between an older student doing it as a joke or a favor, though most agreed that the Longbottom Heir's reaction was genuine, as he fainted and had to be revived magically by Dumbledore. The headmaster then took him to where the other champions had been taken and the Hall boiled over into muttering and whispers. Mcgonagall quickly took action and quieted them before sending them all off to their common rooms. While the room had been filled with nothing but the shuffling of feet, the Hallway was in an uproar. The foreign students all stood out in the courtyard, each school talking in groups on separate sides. Harry walked with a large group of Ravenclaws, as well as some of the upper year Gryffindors that included the Twins who were only upset that Neville got so lucky. Or unlucky, as they were quick to admit soon after. Unlike the other groups theirs met in the abandoned, though now not so abandoned, library that Harry used as his own common room. Even the teachers accepted its existence after learning the location was surprisingly near several secret passageways the teachers used frequently.

His group was also focused on more than just gossip and speculating. Most of them were close to Neville and knew that while he was somewhat more confident than before he would never want to put his name in the running as either a joke or even to try and compete. This meant that someone entered him in hoping he would get hurt, and none of them wanted that. Most that joined them were in their own year or the year above, but a sizable group of sixth and seventh years had arrived on their own after they did. An hour passed quickly, and when Neville came into the room he was astonished to see everyone with papers and books all around them, some groups stopping their yelling and others looking up quietly from their notes or books.

"W-what is everyone doing?" He said, a bit confused by the chaos he walked into. He had been expecting sad or even angry faces and silence, but here they all were studying furiously for something. Harry even smiled as he looked up, a splatter of ink on his face.

"Neville, we're going to help you!" The boy-who-lived exclaimed as he jumped up. He waved his hand around at everyone. "You can count on us all to make sure that you can do this."

"None of you think I did it?" Said Neville, honestly quite shocked that they hadn't seemed to hesitate at all.

"When I asked if anyone did think it was possible, Luna told us-" Luna interrupted Harry.

"Youre rich and hate fame. It would be like Harry entering himself." A few more people chuckled. He did reason that both him and Harry were somewhat similar, being generally shy in public and from well-off households. There were other things he noticed that paralleled in their lives, but he had only seen it as they became closer friends. He was quickly becoming Harrys best friend, or at least nearly as good as Luna. However the conversation carried on.

"Well good, because I didn't. Everyone but Dumbledore in there seemed to think so, but most of the people in the hallway didn't seem too mad."

"Well you did faint my friend." Nevile groaned and put his head into his hands. "You only really slumped over into your arms." Continued Harry. "Are they going to make you compete? Isn't there some way around it?"

"No, its magically binding somehow. If I don't compete I could loose my magic. I was thinking it might be better to be a squib than die in the competition, but that was before I saw all you here and remembered that you would help me."

"Of course we are, we wouldn't abandon a friend. Bloody hell, I think with all of us we here you're going to win this thing."

"I just want to survive and come out unharmed if possible."

"Well, considering we already know what the first task is, planning for it should be easy. The event wont be at all, in fact it is probably somewhat suicidal really, but I'm sure we can cook something up." Neville grew paler and paler as his black haired friend spoke, however the group did start to smile in anticipation.

"Look, you're only going to have to fight a dragon, maybe four but probably not, and I'm also certain-". Harry gave up as Neville grew pale and fell over, caught by a cushioning spell, whose caster looked at Harry with an expectant look.

"Pay up Potter, I knew you couldn't keep him from fainting. Plenty of us could, but only you would mention that there are four dragons."

"Yeah, yeah,.." Harry grumbled in reply, pulling a galleon out of his pocket and tossed it over to George. Fred stepped in and caught it however.

"Ill take that, you owe me a Galleon for eating all the cauldron cakes I was saving for that date."

"Fine, but I want my-"

"Look Neville," interrupted Harry, whom was speaking to the freshly awoken boy, "things will be okay, i'm sure of it. Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to you. With all of us helping you as well I'm sure that anything is possible."

"I dont know guys, I really think this isnt going to end well. I mean, are you sure it will be dragons?"

"Yeah, should have seen the look on Harry's face when he told us. He turned as green as his eyes!" Laughed Cedric from the corner. Everyone turned to look at him, which caused him to blush a little before speaking to Neville further. "We may be competing against each other for the cup, but I don't see why we cant remain friends. I would like to still train and study separately, to keep things fair to the other schools, but-" he pulled out his wand and came closer to Neville, "I, Cedric Diggory, promise to put your life over this competition, making sure that you stay alive even if it were to cost me victory." His wand, simply held straight up, glowed blue for a moment. Most of the rooms occupants seemed at least mildly, if not majorly, surprised by this. Neville was in awe to say the least, and took a moment to come up with a reply.

"T-thanks Cedric, but you didn't have to do that at all. I promise to do the same." The boy held up his wand at the last part, which glowed a rich gold for a moment. Cedric held out a hand, which Neville shook, and the room gave a quick cheer for them. If anyone had reason to be upset that Neville was in the tournament, it was Cedric. One could say the younger boy had stolen his place as Hogwarts champion, or at least in terms of interesting news. Not many wanted to hear about the successful senior when there was a fresh face possibly involved in a scandal. However the Hufflepuff stayed true to his house and kept his friendship with him.

Their night went on for hours more, with most kids being occupied the whole time with books. Some worked well by yelling in groups and skimming through books, while others cast or had others cast silencing shields to study quietly. Harry ran from group to group for the first while, asking and answering questions, but eventually grew tired and was convinced by Luna to sit down and help her with a rune. Everyone went to sleep that night with minds racing and some found they could not at all. Or at least, they did anything but rest.

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Later than he would normally like Harry found himself slumping into bed. However it was not long after his head hit the pillow did he feel a sharp pain from his forehead, so intense that he found himself unable to move. In a moment he found himself bombarded with sounds and colors, even through the pain realizing what was going to happen. However it was too soon he found himself staring directly in the face of a nightmare; an enormous winged serpent with crimson scales and fearsome claws sparkling from its appendages. Or at least staring at a man clad in plate armor standing in front of the beast.

Harry could feel the building of pressure emanate through the air as it took a deep breath, fire already pouring out of its mouth. It was then, the dragons face obscured by fire, that the man sprung forward. In one leap he covered at least seven feet, perfectly diving into a roll and coming to his feet at a dead run. Without hesitation his shield was swung over his shoulder and sword clutched in two hands. With a mighty slice the knight cut through the dragons foot, severing it off at the joint in a spray of blood. With another leap he dodged the dragons crash to the ground where it flopped for a moment as its other legs tried to bring it upright. Without hesitation the ragged warrior stabbed furiously into the creatures brain several times. With a few final stabs the great beast lay still. However there was evidence that the fight lasted for quite some time before this moment, with both the knights armor and the dragons scales covered in many dents and scratches. The knight gave a sigh after the glow of white energy transferred to his body. Soon the monsters body disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Resting the blade on his shoulder the man carried on, over what Harry now took time to see was a bridge that the fight occurred on. He could see on the ramparts above evidence that this dragon took off and landed there numerous times as if it had been defending the gates below. A few corpses lay scorched on the flagstones, ones sword nearby still in good condition from the arm holding it being severed and thrown to the side. The knight looked at it for a moment before picking it up and carrying it in place of his longsword which was momentarily sheathed. After giving it a few swings and admiring the blade closely he then suddenly gave it a mighty hurl right over the ramparts and into what Harry assumed was a long drop. He wanted to laugh as the man simply carried on as if nothing happened, clearly unaware of his audience. Harry took note that another corpse glowed with white energy, and when approached the pale flames were absorbed into the man.

It seemed strange to Harry that the dream simply skipped ahead, at least in some ways. He felt as if he suddenly had the knowledge of what the knight did next, finding that he already knew what happened between his last dream and this one on the bridge. It was the two Gargoyles amidst this flood of memories that he was brought back to see in detail. Now the man held a great shield taken from the bodies of fearsome knights that guarded the church below, as well as their armor replacing some of his own.

A glowing golden phantom fought alongside him, throwing familiar spears of lightning into the two stone monsters. They both began to breath fire, attacking furiously towards their aggressors. A solid hit connected with the golden man, sending him hurtling over the edge of the roof they fought upon. One of the gargoyles axes swung right past the knight, with another bouncing off his shield. In one movement, he saw the man swiped through one beasts nose and then into the others face. The sword was then pulled back and thrust through the first head as it recoiled in a daze, causing it to go limp. Another slice finished the second gargoyle, leading to even more of the white glow to drain away into the man and the disappearing of the stone guardians bodies. Not wasting a moment he turned around and ran to the edge, leaning down. Harry couldnt see what was happening for a moment, but then a golden glowing hand was pulled up, followed by the rest of the knight phantom that had been fighting alongside them before. Once safely back on the church roofs tiles, they both gave a salute followed by the strangely garbed knight taking a seat to stare towards the glowing sun. After a few moments though the glowing man stood up and gave a quick bow before spreading his hands up into the air. The Sun on his chest reminded him of a conversation earlier they shared, and Harry felt glad glad they could participate in Jolly Co-Operetatjon.

It seemed that Harry was about to get some rest himself when he felt as though he were getting sucked away again. This time more and more memories flooded in. He saw of the ringing of a bell and the fight back through the burg of undead. The slow descent into the dark slums beneath the city, and the struggle against a humanoid demon protected by two dogs. But more than that he remembered the deaths. So many that the lessons learned from the experiences were the only real details he remembered. Each time the man would awake at a small fire, as if snapping out of a bad dream of his own. Except for him it could not be escaped.

When he was pulled back into reality by the rush of light and feeling of sheets on his skin Harry took in a deep breath, his forehead pounding painfully a few more times before the pain began fading. By the time he was able to get up and head out to class he had to make up an excuse to Professor Moody, who still gavee him three nights of detention for the boy-who-lived tardiness.

When he finally saw Neville and Luna they were already at lunch studying. The first task was to be held soon and everyone at the school was busy in some way. Most were fortunate enough to just be worrying wether or not they would see someone die, while others like the groups helping the champions were getting increasingly anxious that one of their friends would be dying; especially if it was because anyone slacked off. Harry felt it was almost neccesary to put off trying to find a way to fix his own problem. While Luna discerned some of the side effects of his curse, he had told her little about the rest of it. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, especially now with the tournament taking place.

By the end of the day he felt much better and got to sleep easily. Even if it seemed to be only because he couldn't stop thinking about the dream all day and was exhausted. It did not come again for a while at least, but unfortunately that would become the least of Harrys problems in the days to come.

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Neville felt absolutely fantastic in nearly every description of the word. He had spent quite a bit of time training both physically and mentally, all of his free time for the past month now in fact, and so he felt as powerful as one could feel in his situation. With the task one day away his nerves had definitely begun to set in, but now he was able to control them. All of his friends, Harry especially, were supporting him and training him to be able to face the dragon. Nobody expected him to slay it, though they had tried their best to plan and prepare it for him, but he was relatively certain he could get past one if he had to.

While he was not nearly as good at dodging attacks as Harry, he surprised everyone by being able to cast a shield charm and several other defensive spells above his year. His Professors told him that everyone had their talents in magic, and that perhaps he was attuned with defensive spells. This ultimately lead to experimenting with flame protection spells in preparation for the first task. Neville couldn't stand in a dragons flame by any means, but he was able to withstand two Incendio spells from older students without feeling anything, so he would hopefully have a bit more room to dodge away from the flames of the beast. Harry had also shown him, in secret for some reason, an offensive spell that could be cast several times without much drain on ones magic. It was strong enough to blow a hole in conjured metal plates, so hopefully it would be of some use against the dragons magic-resistant scales if need be. Neville found the spell to be somewhat maneuverable if one focused hard enough on getting the arrow of magical energy to change direction. Harry was surprised to find he could arc the trajectory of the spell as well, though neither could get it to move any more freely than a slight curve and that turning it all the way around was impossible. He trained extensively with what he was soon considering to be his best friend, and found his magical strength to be quite formidable. Harry himself admitted that Neville would easily beat him in a duel if he wasn't able to dodge so well.

With the threat of a dragon looming over his head, Longbottom decided it was time to leave his books behind and rest for his last day. Luckily as a champion he was not required to show up for class, as he spent an entire day sleeping. After which he woke up seeming abnormally calm and collected. Nobody saw him at all afterwards until an hour before the first task, where he shocked the reporters by storming past them and into the champions tent. He gave Harry a firm handshake and Luna a tight hug before collecting his dragon from the bag held by some pompous looking arse that leered at him like a prize horse. He was completely unsurprised to see that he had picked the Hungarian Horntail, undoubtedly the most dangerous, and barely cared when the judge or official (or whatever his bloody job was) described that they would each need to get past their dragons to acquire a golden egg it guarded. Giving a nervous laugh he went back to his corner of the tent and began going over his spells. Luna and Harry were ushered out of the tent immediately, barely catching Neville's attention at the last moment. He had a somewhat scared look, but gave them a confident wave before the flap of the tent closed.

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One could say the performance of the first three contestants went by normally, for a magical competition anyway. Cedric distracted his with a dog, barely making it past the flames as he grabbed the egg and ran to safety. Victor managed to blind his, but couldn't avoid a few small cuts and bruises. Fleur however wasn't as lucky and took a serious hit from her dragon. Neville however knew none of this, and walked nervously out of the tent to an awaiting crowd and terrifying battlefield. He somehow spent a moment contemplating how ridiculous it was for a fourteen year old to be here as he stared at the massive scaled beast before him. This ended very quickly when the dragon decided to give him a warning, suddenly spewing a massive amount of liquid flame in his direction. When both the light and intense heat hit him, he quickly snapped back to focus and began going through the plan he knew would work best.

Harry and Luna, with occasional input from Gred and Forge, were able to describe exactly what Neville was doing as he slowly made his way towards the dragon. First he made his way a bit closer to the dragon behind some rocks, and to the shock of the crowd gave it an eloquent bow after stepping out from behind a boulder. To everyones further amazement the dragon grew still, seeming to contemplate his actions, before giving a mighty roar causing the young boy to jump back behind the rock.

Luna explained that she found a supposedly accurate dragon handelers handbook which described how they greeted dragons on reserves. They reasoned that perhaps using one would possibly make the dragon let him pass, but that pretty much nothing could get them to leave their eggs. Harry, as well as most of the crowd in fact, was very impressed that he still tried it even knowing about the eggs. Both of them grew silent as they saw Neville draw near where they both knew he would try to execute their plan.

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Harry didn't quite know what to feel at the moment, seeing Neville draw closer to what could quickly become his death. He was impressed with his friend to say the least, and very much wanted to be by his friends side helping him. However he could not, unless he felt that he could prevent Neville from dying. Even if he lost his magic Harry would never let a friend go, and at that moment he realized he hadn't been paying attention for a few seconds. However Luna squeezing his hand was far more meaningful than concern for Neville, as he looked up to see the beast flying straight in his direction.

Luckily not many died in the following barrage of fire, smashing, and eventual collapse of that section of bleachers, if considering the total size of the event. It was most tragic that they ended up being entirely students, of house Ravenclaw and a good portion being from both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

Neville was tried in front of the Wizengamot, and found guilty of using the imperious curse to send the dragon to attack the stands. He was further accused of trying to assassinate several members of the government and ambassadors from other countries, as it was reasoned that he meant to send it after the judges box nearby.

Neville found himself once again looking at a dreadful sight, and feeling quite amazed that a fourteen year old was at Azkaban. He wondered why this happened and how everyone thought he would really do such a thing, but after hearing how Sirius ended up here it wasn't really all that surprising. However, this time it would be a definitive death sentence in the dark cells of the prison, and not just a strong possibility of being eaten by a dragon.

If only this was the Neville from one of the universes that will have a happy (well, we'll see) ending in relation to this story. Sadly the poor lad isn't an animagus, as I dare say he wont survive the night.

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A/N

Yes, the Narrator is as much a character in a story as any other. Sometimes they deserve their say.

Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Alright, time to kick things up a bit...

Warning: Things get kicked. Most likely upwards.

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Upon awakening, Harry was more concerned that they had not come up with a contingency for if such a thing were to occur than worrying how things went so horribly wrong. He knew he could talk to Luna right away to try solving this, but he did not know if this would be the best time to tell Neville of such a thing as his "power", overall leaving him with little help at the moment. Luna was brilliant and Harry knew she would probably be all the help he needed, but this would also likely put her in danger. This line of thinking, along with a million other possibilities running through his brain, kept him busy for over an hour as he wrote notes and tried to remember everything that happened. When Harry realized he might have wasted a crucial hour, he went with what his guts told him to do; pay more attention throughout the day to gather clues before dying again and starting off the next day with a head start. Luna was against this kind of plan, not wanting him to test purposefully manipulating his powers in case it backfired and he winded up permanently dead. From what he understood about the "Multiverse Theory", an interesting bit of muggle philosophy, this likely didn't matter as there was a universe somewhere where he dies and doesn't come back for some reason. This was something he had apologized for in advance in case he did die, but this only lead to a long argument about time travel and fate. However he realized that line of thinking, like before, would only distract him if he thought too much about it, and so he quickly began to catch up with his day.

Luckily class had been fairly simple, with study time followed by Potions. Then he had only a half class of Charms, followed by lunch. Once again absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happened, and he realized that he was wasting time. He decided to try talking to the Potions master as soon as possible, as he likely knew something useful and certainly wasn't on the dark side. Rude and imposing, mean maybe, but not on the side of evil.

He acted normal during lunch. Well, at least he kept the appearance up. His friends noticed something off but said nothing, nervous about the day and not wanting to distract Harry. He was using one of the twins recent inventions; a earpiece that let one listen to whatever one wanted within fifty feet. He was listening to several teachers and the various officials there for the event, but found that nobody had anything interesting to say over their meals. When he returned himself to the conversation he was still careful to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

It was after lunch that he got his first clue towards what had happened. Harry noticed a door was missing from the entrance hall as he exited and was about to make his way towards where the arena for the first task would be. He did not think the door had anything to do with his search, as it was quite normal for some to change places, but one of his biggest hobbies was learning the secrets of the castle, causing him to investigate its disappearance in case a new passageway had been made. Nothing about the wall seemed amiss upon closer inspection though and with little time he gave the rock wall a gentle pat as an unspoken promise to come back and play with it later. However he did not pat cold stone, but instead rough wood. He placed both hands on it, feeling around to the edges until he was sure that there was indeed a door there hidden with magic. Harry cursed under his breath as he realized he had no idea how to dispel the illusion or even how one made it. The branch of magic had seemed somewhat useless to him before now and he wondered how long it would take him to learn.

Suddenly the door reappeared in front of him. Thinking fast he pulled his invisibility cloak from one of his robe pockets, magically expanded on the inside, and pulled it over himself as he slid up against the wall. A moment later he was shocked to see Professor Moody peak out of the doorway, the magical eye whirling around. The haggard ex-aurors tongue jutted out from his lips strangely, as if tasting the air, before signaling back into the room to follow. Harry was very shocked to see the headmaster of Durmstrang follow him out. Both made their way in opposite directions, and Harry quickly decided to follow Moody.

Normally following a man with one leg is not the hardest thing to do, but for some reason the aging wizard moved faster than Harry. More than once he was almost caught until Harry altogether lost the man. The boy who lived was very mad about this, realizing he wasted a lot of his time to find out nothing. If he couldn't resolve things somehow he knew he would have to do better tomorrow finding out what they were up to. Just as he was about to head off to find Neville, he was surprised by the sudden appearance of of the imposing Defense Professor who jumped out from behind a corner to Harrys right. He made no sound as the man examined the hallway, clearly under the impression someone was there. Luckily he stormed off after seeing nothing, with both his regular and magical eyesight, this time not taking as much care to loose any followers. Harry didn't hesitate to continue following his target, this time being far more careful to not be detected.

His ability to sneak around proved to be enough as the limping man never once grew suspicious of where Harry moved, though he observed him reacting to other things that could be mistaken for a tail. So caught up in the chase Harry didn't realize that he was not very familiar with this part of the school until the Professor ducked into a room, though he guessed it must be near the dungeons from the damp chill in the air.

Cautiously approaching the door, he heard two voices but could only catch "Secure the room, if you will." followed by silence. This was enough for him to be able to tell that it was Professor Snape. Harry didn't dare try to get in the room and waited outside for over thirty minutes before the handle turned and both Professors rushed out of the room, once again in different directions. For the second time he was conflicted on who to follow, but something told him that he should keep following Moody. Despite the animosity between himself and the Potions Master, Harry trusted him to some degree because of Dumbledore. Moodys strange behavior, today in particular, was a definite sign that he was up to something.

Whatever it was, Harry realized a moment to late that he would probably have to wait. Around the next corner was Moody, wand pointed right at Harry. His surprised yell was cut short by a flash of green light.

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Harry's third attempt at the day started off slightly better than the last, as he managed to find the spell Moody used to hide the door. There was also several other charms to help one stay concealed in the book How to Evade Evasion, lifted from the restriction section, and he found himself growing a bit more hopeful about learning what his Defense Professor was up to. Harry looked all over the school for the Headmaster but could not find him. With time running short he slipped a note behind the Gargoyle outside his office. It flinched for a moment before looking at him and nodding, then grabbing the letter and holding it tightly as it turned back to stone. With a possibly pointless thanks he left and headed for the Great Hall.

Lunch was filled with questions, but once again Luna picked up on what was happening and got the rest to let him leave early. He slipped her a note under the table telling her he would explain later. Moody was still seated at the staff table when he left amidst another group of students leaving as to hide his movements. In the hallway he hung around the doors leading outside until the coast was clear. Then he slipped behind a pillar and put on his cloak before ultimately heading inside the room to wait for Moody. Harry stood next to the doorway and swung it open, peaking around the edge to see inside. Seeing no one he rushed inside and closed the door, checking all the corners. Satisfied he was clear, Harry found a suitable spot sitting atop an old teachers podium to spy on the teachers. He wrapped the cloak up around his feet and sat patiently, going over what few spells he could try to defend himself with if caught.

The wait did not take long before he heard the clack of Moodys foot in front of the door. Harry breathed as steadily as possible as the older teacher entered and began casting spells, though none of them were aimed at him. Harry guessed they were privacy spells of some sort but couldn't tell exactly what they did. He was relieved when the man seemed to find nothing and leaned up against a desk, taking a large gulp from his flask. Soon after Karkaroff came in, Moodys head snapping up towards the door a few moments before. From Harrys angle he could see that the mans wand also came out, but he doubted Igor could tell.

"So, what is it you wish to tell me Moody? Still chasing me for my sins in the last war? I proved myself-"

"More like sold out your comrades you little worm." Said Moody, standing straight up. "Im not that fool Alastor anyway." Harry had to admit that made sense, though it made him wonder where the real one was and that perhaps finding him would be a good course of action. "You may know me as Crouch Junior, but I expect to be called Sir and for you to listen to everything I say if you don't want the Dark Lord to be angry with you."

"W-what do you mean!? Barty Junior, is that you? Theres no way you could have escaped-"

"Silence, we are not here to discuss pleasantries. Neither is that our goal, so you better listen up. On this bit of parchment are instructions that you are to read in private later that will be a reminder for you in case you forget what I'm about to say." He pulled out a small scroll and handed it over, which was accepted and hidden away amidst the foreigners robes. "You are to control Neville Longbottoms mind and convince him to do the same to his dragon in the tournament, but have it attack the bleachers where Harry Potter is sitting. I have arranged a meeting with Neville later at the time specified where you will surprise him and carry out the plan."

"What if I refuse?"

"Don't even ask that bullshit, we both know what he Dark Lord would do to you after I brought you to him. There is little risk for you anyway, so do this and Lord Voldemort will be pleased. Maybe enough to forgive your betrayal."

"Fine, like you said this will be quite easy. Hopefully the boy doesn't get eaten in five seconds or this plan wont work."

"This is only the first part, more will be on the way. If Potter does not die there will be other opportunities."

"Fine, I will be going then. Make sure you don't let that blasted maniac get out of wherever you're keeping him. I know you're the type to drag things out."

"Get out you sneak before I cut your tongue off and send it to my Lord."

Both men then stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut. Harry waited a few minutes, taking a moment to organize all this new information. By the time he had a plan together, as poor as it was, he slipped out of the room and after Moody, hoping to use his greater knowledge of the school to arrive before him. With any luck Snape would be persuaded to listen to him.

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"Enough, Potter that will be all. Not that you have convinced me of anything, but you may cower under your fathers cloak beside that cabinet. He will be here in a few moments so keep quiet."

Harry wisely listened to the potions master and threw his cloak back on, sliding up against the shadowed wall next to the cabinet. Not a minute later Moody burst in. Harry learned nothing that he didnt already know from the conversation. They discussed security risks during the event and what they would be doing, neither saying anything at all related to Voldemort. Moody left as suddenly as he came, and after a reasonable amount of time Harry slipped off his cloak.

"I swear Professor, that was Barty Crouch Junior. I don't know who that is other than he must be the son of that official organizing he event. It sounded like he escaped from Azkaban and definitely has the real Professor Moody hidden somewhere."

"Fine, I shall believe this as you have little reason to lie. But I will not be acting against anyone until I have proof. You said you had some?"

"Later he set up a meeting with Neville where he has told Karkaroff to control his mind into getting Neville have his dragon attack the stands. If you go there instead of Neville I promise he will be there and you can get it out of him yourself."

"Fine, I will find Mr Longbottom. If he knows of this meeting I will carry out that plan. However if this is a joke you can expect to feel fear greater than you have ever felt before. Now go and keep your head down. I will send Neville along, at which point you are to protect him."

"Yes, sir Ill keep an eye out for Moody as well. Is Dumbledore here?"

"It would seem fate is most unfortunate today, as he will not be back from London until just before the event. Rest assured he will be informed as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Ill be on my way."

After harry had left, Snape mumbled "Five points to Potter for finally using his brain."

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AN

Yes I will be leaving it there, sorry for the cliffhanger. Thanks for reading, please leave a comment to let me know what you think of the story.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

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Neville considered his life, for the most part, to be going well. He thought about this for a moment as he mosied about the castle, finding himself unable to do anything but wander the numerous hallways as the time before the first task started slipping away. He was soon to have a meeting with Professor Moody who said he had some last minute advice. This was strange to some degree, as other than the exchange of the herbology book after his first class they had spoken little. Perhaps the teacher still felt bad about what had happened, or maybe had something to tell him about his parents. He knew the man had been some sort of friend of the family and coworker to his parents in the last war but little else. Neville had also noticed how his grandmother flirted with him at a christmas party a few years ago, which was both heart melting and completely unnerving. About where they were meant to meet he actually saw the man, who had just went past down an intersecting hall. Figuring he was on his way to see him by now, Neville took off after him and called out, "Professor, Im down here, wait up!" As he rounded the corner his thoughts of friendship were lost however, as he came face to face with the mans wand.

"Blasted boy cant be bothered to show up where hes supposed to." Said the crazy eyed teacher. The man took a large gulp from a flask, the prosthetic eye swiveling to face him. "At least Karkaroff wont be in too much trouble, but he had better be useful later. Now then, stand still while I-"

"-And thats pretty much it. Im sure youll find it handy later."

"Yes sir, of course! Thank you for showing me my fathers spell. Im very certain I wont die, as well as I can be anyway."

"Dont think about that, just focus on winning, and what I told you."

"Of course. Well, I'll be off." Neville turned and walked away, glad that he had made the meeting. He made his way to find somewhere private to wait until the trial began. In fact, he even had the idea to just go straight to the champions tent now. Somehow he knew nobody would look for him there until the task began. It didn't bother him that he didn't remember how he even knew where it was.

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Harry and Professor Snape, as well as several other students, raced around the school. Severus had tried to warn the event officials but they were opposed to doing anything until Moody was questioned by Aurors. Only two of the younger cadets were sent to search though, and none of them were concerned that he could not be found. Harry checked the time again to see that the trial was about to start and swore under his breath, turning around and sprinting towards the grounds. Somehow his plans had not worked out, though this was mostly Professor Snape being unable to find the youngest champion. All of them were desperate for Dumbledore to return, but with time this short Harry knew things would likely come down to whatever help those already here could provide.

Harrys world was jarred out of place as his body instantly grew stiff and he fell forwards. The fall was quite painful and he was pretty sure he broke his nose and glasses. This concerned him very little though as he realized what must have happened. He didn't have to wait long to confirm his fears.

"Bloody little rascal, you've really gone and screwed things up." Crouch Junior no longer sounded like Alastor, but Harry knew nobody else that it could be. "Id love to take you with me to the Dark Lord to find out how you discovered my plans but sadly time grows short. I must leave before that-" The deranged man was cut off by a soft pop and a yell. Harry heard a thump some distance away afterwards. In another moment he felt himself unfrozen.

"Get up, Potter." Said Snape, looking down at the boy. He rolled his eyes and flicked his wand at his nose and said a quick word Harry did not quite catch. This caused his nose to get immensely painful and start throbbing, though it quickly faded to a dull ache. He also felt his glassesmend themselves back onto his face but he still had his eyes closed as Snape cast that spell. "See Pomfrey later about that. Now get to the Champions tent and stop Neville from competing. No matter what, I don't care how you do it but keep him from that competition." Harry did not need to respond with anything other than a nod before taking off. It made him wonder for a moment what spells could make him move faster.

As he got close enough to see the stands and hear the cheer of the crowd he knew he was too late. The trials had already started and it would be impossible to stop it with the stubbornness of the organizers to make sure things went well. Hoping that there might be enough time to at least stop Neville from competing he ran underneath the cloth that covered the stands. The crowd above him roared with shock in what he assumed was response to the bright flashes of blue light filtering through the cracks in the canvas in front of him. When he had worked his way forward and was able to peak out from one of the stands openings he could see Neville amidst the rocks, taking cover from a blast of fire. Harry hesitated to run out to drag his friend away, afraid of the large beast that growled from its nest. This was perhaps one of Harry's greatest mistakes, one he never quite got over. For just as he paused, fabric partially folded for him to climb through, Neville cast a translucent spell at the massive beasts head. Knowing what this meant he decided to not make the same mistake twice.

This time he did not hesitate as he rushed past the thick fabric. Most of the crowd was yelling in excitement, but in a moment they would be turning to screams. Of course his presence on the field caused officials to start screaming at him from all directions, but he cared little. The dragon was shaking its head still trying to fight the powerful spell, but before Harry could reach his friend the large creature gave a thunderous roar and spewed a column of fire into the air. To the crowd and Harrys horror it turned away from Neville and snaked towards the closest set of stands. Witches and wizards began running in every direction and a translucent blue shield sprung up around it. The Horntail ran headfirst into this before getting bounced back. Even more enraged, it started spraying another massive jet of flame that rolled around the blue shield. It took only a moment for the shield to grow lighter and become at risk of breaking so, with everyone busy trying to evacuate faster, he decided to give them some time. Bringing the strange words to his lips and raising his wand Harry cast a large, but slow moving, arrow of magical energy towards its face. One of the wings got in the way at the last moment, however the spell blasted a sizable hole in the more delicate webbing. This caused it to stop its attack on the stands and let out a roar as it whipped around to face him. He needed no encouragement to keep casting, getting off another three spells before the beast had lumbered close enough to start trying to burn him alive. Dodging out of the way behind several boulders he was safe for the moment but the intelligent creature, however addled by the spell, was closing in on him fast.

"Harry, my boy." Came a voice to his left, which turned out to be the Headmaster looking extremely angered. "You have done marvelously and I am very proud, but you no longer need to put yourself in danger. When it is clear, get to the stands and back to the castle."

"Sir! Yes, thank you. Good luck, please dont get hurt!" He responded, giving the man a quick hug. However the ground shook more and more violently as the dragon neared. With a smile he Headmaster began walking around the side of their haven.

"I should be quite alright, though if you could find Me Longbottom that would be most helpful." And with that the ancient wizard strode quite calmly around he side of the boulder.

Many witnesses would claim that Dumbledore was truly a wizard of unimaginable power, at least compared to most. Others would say that his foolishness nearly doomed them all. His battle with the dragon was short and there was little action, but he did what very few, if any, had ever done. Without killing the creature he managed to not only calm it but get it to stay still and be binded. The old man nearly passed out from exhaustion, teetering on his feet, but regained his composure and actually strode up to the Horntail where he placed a hand on its nose. This further seemed to calm it and in another moment it was fast asleep. The crowd erupted into an applause so loud that they nearly broke the statute of secrecy, or so the retellers of the tale say. Harry cheered with the rest as he saw the exhausted looking old wizard take a seat on a boulder next to the creature until the worst noise possible at that moment was heard; the roars of three more dragons.

He turned to see two of the other dragons taking flight to the sky, while a third burst through one of the stands supports. Luckily the magic it was built with kept it upright, but that would not last long. Screams and fire erupted everywhere once again even as some were able to react and began casting spells of all varieties at the three creatures. What he assumed were Aurors and Dragon Handlers were flying in the sky towards the other two, with the third on the ground blasting flame at the stands. Dumbledore stood up and began to go towards it but his legs gave out and he was forced to lean against a rock and slide to the ground. Harry gave him a nervous smile before once again trying his best to catch the attention of the beast. He cast ten more magical arrows at it before one managed to pierce a small gap behind one of its knees. This crippled the beast and caused it to limp around, clearly enraged at the boy. A few small spells from the stands still ticked against its scales and a large amount of smoke and ash had begun to fill the air. All together it was a somewhat amazing scene and if not for the danger Harry thought he would have enjoyed it. Behind him he heard a large boom followed by a great roar and almost caused him to look away. Noticing his loss of focus the Dragon lunged forward, using its wings to bring it right on top of the boy. Somehow he managed to dodge to the side out of its way, feeling the air move past his back from the Dragons size. Running for his life he leapt around a large cropping of rock and put some distance between himself and the wounded creature.

"Harry!" Yelled several voices from behind him at once. He turned to see Luna and the Twins with several other students backing them up. "Come," said Luna, "you cant stay here! The Handlers already have one subdued!"

"Look, Luna you know why Im here in the first place! You all need to leave before-"

None of the group of students heard anything more from Harry. His voice was cut off by the roar of an extremely angry and crazed Dragon. Its maw hung only feet above his head, and he could do nothing in his shock to avoid the billowing flames that erupted from the sharp toothed mouth.

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Most of those that saw this were quite surprised, having not seen the dragon fly from above. Some people from the stands, looking back as they fled, did see the back of the Dragon on top of the mass of rocks looking at something on the other side. Some would later feel ashamed for running, yet they had expected the boy to have escaped considering how well he had been handling himself. Their guilt only increased when they learned of the other children whom had apparently gone to rescue the boy, which most agreed (in private) was tragically foolish, had all been eaten alive by the beast.

All of the Dragons were eventually subdued, though the one that killed Harry Potter was crippled and eventually mauled to death by an opportunistic sibling for dominance after being returned to its reserve.

Poor Neville, stricken with grief, barely made it through the rest of the trials. He may have failed every task, but everyone in the school or wizarding world at large knew that the poor lad had no wish to compete anymore, and so was only asked to participate in the tasks so that he would not also loose his magic. Neville found peace with the tragedy after many years, high in the mountains of the Americas tending to his plants.

Cedric however pulled out quite a victory in the tournament, the celebration for which was cut short by the prompt attack on and sacking of Hogwarts by Voldemort and his forces, followed by a long and dark time in Britain's History.

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Once again I did a bit of a post death report for Harrys demise this time. I wont make him go through the whole day again, but I have some idea what I want to do to wrap it up. Anyway, thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought, positive or negative!


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Warning: Voldemort falls in love, just for a moment.

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Barty Crouch awoke very surprised to be waking up at all. He had been sitting in that Horrid office organizing his Polyjuice for the day and going over his plans. Now he found himself chained to his chair with a very imposing looking Harry Potter sitting in the chair across the desk. He opened his mouth but was cut off by the black haired boy.

"Look, I have no time to play games anymore. Tell me where you have Moody locked up or I will set that chair on fire. I dont need him or you but I would much rather get the poor man his freedom as quickly as possible. You have three seconds."

"You little shithead, I dont know how-" Crouch stopped his rant short as the boy sighed and jabbed his wand at him. Like he said the chair was now on fire and was burning him quite painfully. Crouch began to yell out in pain before giving up. "In the blasted trunk! Put me-yeow!- out!"

Harry cast the few unlocking charms he knew at the chest which luckily, for Crouch, opened.

"Good," said the boy, who cast a large jet of water on Crouch. "Now be quiet."

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Locked in a dirty little box, one he used to keep prisoners of his own in ironically, sat a very tired Alastor Moody. He had spent his time contemplating many things, but mostly just yelling at that bastard Crouch whenever he was in his office. He had nearly escaped a few times when other people entered the office but Crouch had been able to keep him locked up. Moody was thoroughly shocked when he heard someone sneak into the office and knock out his doppleganger. He swore he broke a rib laughing when he heard, of all people imaginable, Harry-bloody-Potter was the one up there interrogating the slimy lunatic. When the boy opened the trunk to find him laughing he looked up. The grave expression the boy had said a lot about his current condition.

"Alright enough gawking at me. Toss me down his wand and call for an elf."

"Sir, why were you laughing when I opened the trunk?" Asked the boy as he pulled the wand out from his pocket and tossed it down.

"Thought it was the most absurd thing to ever happen to me. Figured I had really gone mad like they all say."

"So you aren't then." Moody conjured up his jacket, leg, and eye (not something a lot of people could say they had to do) and gave a few quick stretches as he stood in the cramped box. With a flick of his wrist Moody had conjured a thick cloud of smoke which lifted him up and out of the box standing next to Harry.

"Not anymore than yourself, though I cant say thats much I'm sorry to say."

"At least this year went pretty well until today." This was a strange thing for the boy to say after stopping the sabotage of the event.

"What do you mean, m'boy?" It seemed he was about to say something but stopped short, a smile slowly growing on his face.

"Look, you have Barty Crouch Jr and all the evidence you will need to convict him, not to mention any information he has or that you could get out of him. You also have me, Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived as the one who "heard his teacher in the trunk" and subdued an imposter that was acting suspicious. Mostly though sir, I'm glad that you are free. If you need anything after all this dies down I might know more." Moody considered the boys words, his mind made up already despite having a hard tome analyzing which the boy took after more; his fathers ability to win you over with charm or his mothers cold logic. He was thankful that the boy was turning out to be the next Dumbledore, in different ways though. Dumbledore would never light a prisoner on fire.

"Get out of here. Damn good job, hundred points to Harry Potter and an immediate Outstanding in year four Defense Against the Dark Arts for stopping a dangerous Dark Wizard and rescuing a Teacher. That should get Dumbledore down here. You know he hears every time points are announced, right?"

"He must be mental."

"Good point, best be going before he gets here. Im going to be here a while."

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"Harry?" Luna asked the dark haired boy. They were sitting at the tournament, watching as the dragon was brought out that Neville was facing. He had a very strange look on his face as it was brought out, though as soon as she said his name he blinked and shook his head.

"Just worried, but Neville is looking great, Crouch going back to Azkaban got him motivated." Luna smiled as the normal Harry came back. He was growing more serious as time went on, but she was smart enough to know that he was only telling half the truth. She could hear the burning of fire and the roar of dragons as people yelled in the distance for a moment. Her smile faded a bit, and both looked at each other rather sadly for a moment.

"Ill tell you everything later. Lets just focus on cheering for Nev right now." He took her hand and have it a squeeze. Both immediately felt rather foolish and pulled away and laughed nervously for a moment. Fate spared the two much more embarrassment, though it could very well drag things out if it wanted to, and chose that moment for the announcer to start speaking.

"Now, for the Fourth and Final Round of the first task, Neville Longbottom of House Gryffindor will be facing the Hungarian Horntail! Champion, step out and begin the task!"

After a moment Neville stumbled out of the tent, causing quite a bit of chatter. He caught himself quickly and took off at a sprint without delay. In a moment he was behind one of the closest boulders and then to everyones surprise did two things; cast a spell that turned him a color very similar to the rocks and cast another that made him glow an astonishingly dark blue for a moment. Both of these were uncommon spells for someone so young, and it surprised many who thought the boy was not cut out for the task.

Many lost track of the champion, though the dragon did not seem to. Neville however stuck to the plan and continued to do his best to sneak around the edge of the arena. This was where the plan was out of their control. Luckily they did not draw the dragon with the best sense of smell, but theirs was the most intelligent of the dragons and was not easily fooled. Time was ticking away but eventually Luna was sure that the dragon was no longer watching Neville but a small projection of the boy creeping towards the dragons side. Its eyes were looking in that direction despite its head not being turned, and a stray clouds shadow covered that part of the arena.

Fast as a cat the Horntail struck, jumping up and smashing the rocks where the shadow was. Most could see something in that area move back towards the edge away from the Dragon. It followed after, at which point Luna looked back at the nest to see the faint outline of Neville picking up the egg.

The crowd roared as the boy took off with his prize, only the golden egg easily visible in the gray surroundings. Luna began to cheer as well, standing up with Harry to see Nevilles progress.

With a terrible shake of the earth and a loud roar the Dragon caught wind of what happened. It had looked up as the crowd cheered and screamed even thought it had been quietly hunting. Then it saw the shimmer of gold across the field and its knew the small wizard had stolen one of its eggs.

Neville saw the dragon coming and got behind a rock and tried his best to loose it by running behind more. The dragon, powerful and skilled at hunting even clever prey sprung up in the air, shaking the stands with wind so much that many had to sit back down. It spread its wings and glided down right atop Neville, trapping him against a rock.

Luna and many others screamed, the handlers and medics already in action. But as the dragons head came up taking in a breath of air Neville held his wand up. Its end glowed blue just before the dragon released its flames. A large streak of bright blue energy raced forward like a muggle rocket, blasting in the right spot under the dragons head to do the most damage. It exploded in a bright blue light as it struck, and most of the stands saw Neville take off past the Dragon. The great creature stumbled backwards with blood dripping from somewhere. However Neville made it to the tent and raced inside before it could recover and the task was over, completed in the second fastest time.

Luna noticed that the dragon had a large gash in its neck just underneath the jaw and was still bleeding. The handlers were having a hard time treating it but they seemed to be getting sedatives ready. The crowd cheered as the creature was dosed and grew calm and then fell asleep, the handlers immediately getting busy treating its wound. Even Luna could tell it would not likely survive without their help, but was glad her friend was ok.

"Merlin, that was phenomenal Luna! Neville wiped the floor with that Dragon, it didn't know what hit it! I bet he barely even got winded, that was less far less than ten minutes." He was smiling, clearly as happy as herself about the outcome.

"Maybe he could make a career out of fighting dragons? Im sure people would pay to see! Although I wouldnt want him to hurt the Dragons so much."

"Theres also Neville to consider, who probably wont even want to even hear the word Dragon ever again." The two best friends shared a laugh amidst the stands that were beginning to clear out. Once the area was clear they made their way to the champions tent to see how their other best friend was faring.

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Shouts and hands surrounded Neville after finally exiting the medical tent, having stayed for over two hours in hopes of avoiding the tabloids. Sadly they could smell blood, literally, and would not be letting this go easily. He had decided to simply say that he was alright and that he hoped the dragon recovered. He had not quite been ready for the intensity of the press. However after raising his hands and eventually getting silence he was able to speak, the press happy to hear anything he had to say for now.

"I would just like to say that I am okay and did not suffer any serious harm. I also hope that the dragon recovers and have been told there is only a small chance it wont.-"

"How does it feel to be the youngest known wizard to slay a dragon?" Shouted one man who was close enough that yelling was quite unnecessary. Neville was quite astounded by this information, knowing full well that the dragons life was no longer in danger.

"What do you mean slay? Ive been told by the handlers themselves that she will be making a full recovery-"

"Which is marvelous, but if not for the aid of wizards the dragon would mot have survived its wounds. Haven't you heard the minister wants to give you an merlin third class?"

"What?!" Was all the boy could yell before being gently pulled back into the tent by Harry and Luna. Harry stayed outside and, looking serious enough that they listened, told them to leave or be soaked in water. Back inside the tent the three friends discussed wether he deserved it or not, but soon grew tired of the topic and snuck back to the castle.

Neville carried the golden egg with him everywhere afterwards, as the judges said to do, and was lucky enough to discover its secret the next day after it fell in the bath and opened up. Neville decided not to tell anyone, trying to avoid accusations of cheating. This suited him fine, as he did his best to enjoy the fact that Crouch was in jail and that he not only passed but even won the first task.

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In his muggle fathers home sat Lord Voldemort. He was angry, angrier than he always was. His plans for the tournament were lost, somehow foiled by that annoying child. If he could only get an opportunity to get his body back things could be done, but for now he was with few options. Crouch had been one of the only followers outside of prison or trustworthy enough to seek out. He somehow found himself wishing Wormtail was free though. He was his only follower that he could be his weakest with, and it created a strange longing that the Dark Lord could not explain.

Shaking himself of that thought he began to go over his plans, submersing himself into his subconscious into his mental plane. His final servants reports were good, placing them further along than expected. If all went well, several of his most powerful, and more importantly loyal, followers would be free from Azkaban. Furthermore it could be months before they were discovered missing from the isle. From there he could call the rest of his Death Eaters into action before the years end. They would require some re-training if the reports on some new payers in the fight were true.

It would all matter little when he gathered all his old powers back. His time in the otherworlds of half-death gave him many ideas for new places to draw energy, and perhaps even from the other planes of existence as well. Most of all he wished to learn the magics of that strange world he drew the curse from onto that boy. He had intended to send the boy there himself, unable to return and stuck in a hopeless land, eventually turning into a nameless Hollow with no fate. Somehow things backfired and he paid dearly, loosing all of his power and part of his original soul.

When he saw the spell that Longbottom child used in the tournament he was momentarily suspicious, but it was very similar to many spells used by the light side. The boy could not learn such a spell, even if Potter could himself somehow. He was certain that the Potter child was visiting the place in his dreams after trying to read his mind. It infuriated him that this knowledge was fuzzy at best and how little he could do to prevent it from happening.

Once the boy was in his grasp things would be different, until then the Dark Lord plotted and slept. Gathering power and strength for his return. If only his shattered soul could truly dream, he could see the true powers of the Cursed land and even take them for himself.

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So thats another one done.

Expect more TR/WT, my favorite pairing.

Sorry if this is short or you wanted a more action oriented conclusion to task one. However you can look forward to a changed Neville, no more (serious) romantic stuff, and of course some Mermaid action.

Im going to play some Dethklok while writing the second task I think.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for the coolio reviews!


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I use the word smitten. I think it needs to make a comeback.

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Rays of sunlight once again crested over the vast hills surrounding Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle. The Forbidden Forest came alive with the flight of birds amongst the tree tops and the surface of the Lake was as restless as ever. Sirius watched its dark surface in particular, though the rest of the sight did bring back fond memories of better times. Not that the vast majority of them were all but twisted and lost to him after his time in Azkaban. He closed his eyes as he started to relive some of those memories but thankfully managed to push them aside for the moment, something even he had begun to see was not healthy. Remus had been a fantastic help along with Dumbledore, and by extension Snape who was convinced to make some powerful Dreamless Sleep potions when he was first recovering. Despite the bitter taste in his mouth as he said it, his thanks to his old rival was sincere.

Giving another sigh he stood up and began to pack up his camp overlooking the valley. His instructors would not be happy that he was unsuccessful in stopping the attack himself but things had ended before he, or anyone at all besides his godson, knew what was going on. He was quite impressed with Harry's growing accomplishments and had come to a decision about his second reason for being there.

Harry had proved himself more than capable of joining their order. In many ways the boy would likely be more successful than he ever could. At least it seemed that Harry and Luna were quite smitten with each other, protecting his status as "ladies man". This made him once again feel a slight pain as he reminded himself of how little he cared about women now. While he was as respectful as possible, he did enjoy chasing after women more than most and was a focus of the Dementors attacks on him during his stay at Azkaban. Their influence corrupted what made him love women so much and had left him devoid of the motivation or courage to pursue witches. Ultimately he had no time for such things now anyway with much more important things happening. With any luck it would return after time, at least he hoped so.

Finished stuffing everything into his magically expanded carrying case, there was not much else to do besides clean up the fire and remove any other signs of his presence. Not that anyone would come looking for anything here, or even care if someone was here, but he had noticed wolves used the back of the cave in the winter and he did not want to ward them off if he wouldn't be there.

Giving one final glance around, Sirius Black disappeared with a loud cracking sound. A few goats farther up lifted their heads for a moment at the sound. They went back to peacefully grazing after determining there were no immediate threats.

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Having given up trying to ignore his fame long ago, Harry was trying his best to have fun with the attention he received after the first task. First years were very easily scared and he had no qualms about giving them a hard time after the first dozen or so that had asked for his autograph. The rest of the school knew him well enough to not push things, but somehow annoyances like Draco and even a few who still believed he was behind the attacks from second year decided now would be an okay time to bother him. Malfoy was apparently trying his best to make him out to be a liar and a glory hog, but this was at most a minor nuisance. Slander was not something the wizarding world had caught up with and the blonde was more than happy to manipulate it. Honor duels were still legal between houses but not for underage wizards if there were no truly understandable cause. Harry did however come up with a plan to get back at the ponce.

After quitting the dueling club, or at least not going back after being made an outcast, Harry was sure he would never participate again. With his friends urging him to do so he was convinced to challenge Draco to a duel during the open floor competitions. The entire great hall erupted in turmoil when Harry had walked up to the front of the room and administered his formal challenge:

"I, Harry James Potter of House Potter, challenge Draco Malfoy of House Malfoy to a duel for his slanderous accusations about my involvement to protect others during the first task. I call for the duel to be held this weekend under the supervision of the dueling club at their facilities. The fight will go until one admits defeat, is disarmed, or knocked unconscious. There will be no lethal spell use or the use of long term curses. If my challenge is not met I will be forced to write a formal complaint to the Wizengamot to take action against House Malfoy for their untoward conduct."

Of course several teachers tried to say it was not allowed, but Flitwick was quick to defend the boy explaining that the fight described was the same as the regular dueling club activities. Ultimately it was left up to the Headmaster who decided to allow it, though he did so only because it was not against the rules. Dumbledores only condition was that after the duel the two parties meet to fix their problems. Of course he finished with a charming smile and a twinkle in his eye, stating "Its always nice to see young witches and wizards so full of energy." Draco was looking incredibly pale at his seat but managed to stand and accept the challenge before storming out of the hall. There was much laughter and conversation, not to mention a fair bit of cheering for Harry. Most understood that their peer had been through far more than he should have and had helped them all on multiple occasions. Of course most still remembered his dueling prowess when he had been in the club and were eager to see him in action again. Gred and Forge were quick to take bets despite the frown Luna gave them. She had been against the duel but trusted Harry to do the right thing.

The rest of the week was filled with excited students and even teachers conversing in the hallways. Harry himself was completely ignoring it, not worried about the blonde idiot to have been training as hard as he already had been all year with Neville for the tournament. Neville himself was in full support of the duel; having stated he would challenge Malfoy if Harry did not.

The Potter heir had been pressing his friend to solve the mystery of the Golden Egg as well. Neville was very quick to dodge the topic, stating he had a good idea what it would be but that he wanted to keep it a surprise. Neville was in fact as ready as he could be for the event and wconfident that a plant he learned about would be the crucial element he needed to complete the task, even if the book he found it in was given to him by a madman. Despite his confidence there was still some doubt as to what would be taken, knowing it would be one of his friends, but felt comfortable with Dumbledore supervising the events organization.

The day before the duel Professor Mcgonagal, knowing what would happen, begrudgingly announced that they would be holding the Yule Ball. This of course turned the simmering bubbles of excitement into a full blown explosion of activity and chatter. This eased some of the excitement away from Harrys duel, but overall things were far more chaotic. Neville and Harry found themselves on the receiving end of dozens of confessions of love or even outright sexual desire, which either made the boys uneasy or outright disturbed. Harry was quick to ask Luna after the first few hours of non-stop confessions but poor Neville, despite his rise in confidence, did not want to go with anyone. Luckily a girl from Ravenclaw, one of Patil twins who was friendly with their group, had spoken up when they were discussing the topic in the Library.

"Why don't you just take me an stop worrying about it?" Only Neville missed the nervousness in the way she asked. Everyone but Luna scooted to the end of their seats, not wanting to miss a moment of the action.

"Oh don't worry that much about me Parvarti. You don't need to do me a favor like that."

"Well I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to go with you anyway." Her words implied quite a bit and caused Neville to look wide-eyed up at the cute witch in front of him. Parvarti's face was quite red during all of this, matching his own crimson shade of embarrassment. Harry, the Twins, Cedric, and a new friend from Durmstrang named Sieglar all fell out of their chairs when the blushing Ravenclaw got out of her chair and came around the table to give Neville a kiss on the cheek.

"Ill take that as a yes then. We'll talk more later." She said before rushing out of the Library. Everyone but Luna stared at each other in shock for a moment until she looked up from her book to comment on the situation.

"Well at least he didn't faint like Harry did when I asked him." Everyone turned to look at Harry, who was now the one with a red face, before chuckling as loud as they could without being kicked out of the Library. "I would say I'm surprised you didn't notice," started Luna, interrupting their laughter, "but I suppose I'm the only one who could see the- oh never mind." She went back to reading her book, causing even more laughter from the group.

The rest of the time up until the duel is not worth mentioning, so this storyteller will be jumping ahead a bit. Wait, that was completely pointless to say? Fine, heres the line of DS you were expecting.

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Despite the excitement building up to the event, the duel between Potter and Malfoy ended quickly, though the way he won was still quite interesting. In fact the Twins had made a specific category of betting for this as there was only one outcome really expected. One lucky second year made quite a few Galleons for betting that Harry would win without even using a spell.

Indeed, Harry was so infuriated by Draco casting his first spell early that he simply charged the blonde ferret, nimbly stepping around a few weak stinging hexes and stunners before easily taking the other boys wand from his hand. Even the Daily Prophet reported on the duel, with it becoming one of the most discussed topics in magical Britain for the week. What wes left of Draco's pride vanished immediately as he was defeated, crumpling to the ground breaking down into tears before most of the school. The packed dueling clubroom was filled with laughter and cheers, but to everyones surprise Harry turned to look at them all with a furious face. Roughly grabbing his opponent by the back of his robes and lifting him up to his feet. The room grew quite immediately when Harry began to explain his anger.

"He has already lost, do not ridicule him any further. He deserves this defeat but nobody here deserves to be treated how I was the year before last. If I hear of any further actions against Malfoy I will be taking it as a personal offense against my honor as the winner of the duel. If any of you would like to face me in this circle, then by all means ignore my words. Come on now Draco, lets talk about some things." Harry placed a hand on the other boys shoulder and walked him out of the room, Luna joining him. Those left in the clubroom all felt quite embarrassed, the fun mood completely ruined. Dumbledore simply smiled and asked them all to disperse to allow the dueling club to continue its activities.

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Thank you for those that have given this story some positive reviews. Im very humbled and proud to see that even just a few people enjoyed it so much.

Anyway, don't expect Draco and Harry to fall in love next chapter. Simply out, I have plans.

As always, thank you for reading and please leave a review telling me what you think. Especially if its bad or parts don't make sense. Im no real author and have written and uploaded this entire thing on my phone so far, so its quite surprising to me its turning out somewhat interesting.

So, um... stay in drugs and don't do school? Something like that...


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

You aint seen nothing yet...

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"Malfoy, can you please stop crying? I wont tell you everything is going to be fine, but you dug your own grave." Harry sat across from the blonde haired boy in the "Looney Bin". It amused him for a moment as he realized Draco was the first Slytherin to come here since he took up residence in the cozy library. Draco, seeming to finally calm down, wiped his face and looked up at him. His expression was mostly embarrassment, though there was still a bit of anger. "Good, if hes mad theres less chance of him crying again." Harry thought.

"Damn you Potter, why did you have to do that. You know im never going to come back from something like that." His fists were clenched but it was obvious that he had admitted defeat.

"I was going to have a regular duel until you cheated. You started off not playing fair so I wasn't going to give you the chance to do it again."

"Fine, I know ive done most of this to myself. I wont apologize, but you are the victor and I will leave you alone from now on. I want to ask you though; why did you defend me at the end?"

"Draco, you saw what happened second year. While I'm sure you have no qualms about it happening to me, I'm not the type to let it happen to anyone else. Even you don't deserve what happened to me. There is another reason though, as im sure your snake brain can tell."

"Blasted Ravenclaws, clever enough to twist peoples arms when you have to. What do you want?"

"What I mostly wanted was for you to leave me, and my friends, alone. This is obviously pointless as you have already agreed and quite honestly are not in a position to be bullying anyone anymore."

"Of course, that much was obvious. What is it you really want?"

"I want you on my side. Your complete loyalty to myself and my cause."

"What?" Said the blonde, laughing for a moment. "You think I can join the light side? My father would kill me without hesitation if I did such a thing, as I'm sure you are well aware."

"Draco, Im not on the light side, or the dark side, or any side but my own. I want to get rid of Voldemort-" Draco cringed at the name "-so that I can be left the bloody hell alone."

"What do you expect me to do to help you? Im not stupid, I can see that the Dark Lord was insane. My father only followed him to be close to the power but I'm just a fourth year and I can see this time around I don't think things will go as well. I know nothing of how close he is to returning or about anything going on with my fathers plans."

"That is fine, in fact I do not even know myself what use you will be. I guess I should just simply ask you to be ready. If you're lucky, I wont need anything from you. Most likely though you will be of some help to me."

"Is there anything for me out of this?"

"Besides-"

"Im not going to do it just because its the right thing to do, and you know it. Thats not the way this world works."

"Fine, I can promise that Ill make sure you come out clean in the end. If you don't screw things up that is. If you help me you'll be a hero, or at least redeemed for the most part, but If you try to play both sides of this I will know and I will not hold back."

"Somehow I knew you would say that. What if I need help? Im willing to be your spy but I'm not a martyr."

"Yes, I will do my best to make sure you survive as well. I want you to know that your father might be a different story."

"Lucius is an arrogant arse that has had it coming for years. My mother is the only one that ever cared for me."

"Is she a Death Eater too?"

"No, she has convinced everyone, including my father, that she is of no use but to look pretty. She never even went to the meetings."

"Good, she should be fine then. Now I know we are both loving this conversation-"

"Yeah right, and id like to say I dont need you to defend me from the other children before we end this conversation."

"I had no intention of really doing anything. Maybe if its in front of me I would have to, but for the most part my words should have been enough to keep the people who would attack you most away. Im sure you can deal with the others."

"Fine, but before I leave I also need to know why you seem so confident about all this. It is the only reason I'm agreeing to this.. Partnership."

"I would only tell you if you made a magical oath, something I doubt you would be willing to give. My initial plan was to make you give one before I told you anything at all, but I think showing trust is more affective than distrust. This is not something that I share with just anybody, and only offer it to you as it would convince you to join my side without any conviction." Draco was quiet for some time, staring at Harry. It was clear he had gotten the boys full attention. Harry did not actually want to tell him but was confident that he had manipulated the boy enough that he would not anyway. Giving your own secrets to ones spy unnecessarily was asking for trouble.

"No, I don't want to know. Perhaps this shows my trust in you, but the truth is that the Dark Lord would easily torture whatever it is out of me if he grew suspicious. The less I know, the better." It took quite a bit of willpower for Harry to keep from grinning.

"Good, if that is all I don't wish to keep you occupied any longer."

"Don't disappoint me, Potter. We are not friends, and never will be, but still I have thrown all my eggs into your basket by doing this."

"The same goes to you."

Nothing more to be said, Draco gave him one last stare before turning and leaving the room. Harry immediately found himself being hugged by Luna, who had sat in silence the whole time.

"That was a very risky move Mr Potter. Do you think it will be worth it?" Was her first question after releasing him.

"The worst thing that could happen is Tom figures out we arent ever going to be friends, is it? Im not in a position to sit by and do nothing, I have to make moves or that bastard will be too far ahead for me to catch up."

"Are you sure you aren't just being overconfident because of the curses power?"

"You tell me all the time that I shouldn't rely on it. If I cant trust your judgement then whose can I trust?"

Luna stared at him for several moments with a blank expression, long enough that Harry grew nervous he said something wrong. He was not expecting the sudden hug and kiss on the cheek, although he really should have, and grew quite red afterwards. Luna herself was very sheepish and had trouble looking at Harry, whom was staring at her himself now. Harry gave her a hug in return and, trying to break the awkwardness, asked if she heard anything from Neville about the Tournament. They were both eager to change the topic and talked at length about what secret the golden egg could contain.

Luna once again showed her perceptiveness, at least over Harry, and pointed out that Neville convincing them to add swimming to their exercise routine might be a big hint. Both were quick to agree that the next task would be taking place in the lake, and planned to find things that could help Neville in the water. Deciding to make the most if the opportunity they agreed to do their best to teach him things without letting Neville know they were on to him. Despite the conversation itself being far from anything of a romantic nature they both had been thinking mostly of the kiss. Luna was simply embarrassed that she had made Harry uncomfortable, as he was still not a very emotional person despite how outgoing he had become since second year. Harry was more worried about how he didn't respond to Luna, who he thought must have been hurt.

Luckily the two were able to forget about it when others began to arrive. By the end of the night the two pranksters had already begun their plan to fool Neville, Luna having talked extensively about several aquatic magical creatures she knew of. Harry had smoothly interjected that he wondered if they could try some diving during their morning swims. Neville seemed oblivious to the plot, thought the twins noticed something off.

Most at Hogwarts went to sleep feeling well, knowing the threat of a crazy man had been thwarted. Harry was however not fortunate enough to be one of them. His sleep was filled with dreams of a place that was becoming more like a memory than a dream...

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Crackling sparks of electricity scorched the rocks all around the man Harry observed. Somehow the wooden shield the warrior held was being used to deflect the bolts away even as the little, in comparison to before, blue drake spit out more. They both looked back up the narrow cliff walkway they were on, feeling a bit of panic at the sight of an even bigger dragon watching them and waiting. The man tried his best to fight, being pushed back more and more until the greater dragon struck. With a massive leap it jumped and grabbed them, squeezing the life out of his body. Harry could see its stone scaled cracking and falling into the depths below as it roared in triumph before flames brought him back to the small bonfire from before.

It seemed the man had made some progress, memories of fighting through disgusting sewers coming to mind. However his progress had been altered after finding a key down below that seemed to interest the man far more than Harry would expect if he didn't already know of the mans travels. It would seem that the key was meant to fit many locks, in particular one that lay in a tower near a flooded city. It opened to a ledge on the side of a deep chasm with a nearby ramshackle walkway leading to the other side. Directly in front was a terrifying cave that the man avoided to instead explore the well lit fissure. Partyway downthe narrow path they came across what seemed to be the corpse of a stone dragon, items glowing next to corpses right in front of its maw. With some skill they were able to dodge out of the way after it awoke from their looting, but ended up having no choice but to move forward away from it. There they encountered several blue Drakes that shot lightning from their maws and swooped at them with short bursts of flight. Their spells were able to blast apart two and knock another off the cliff before running out of magic and healing drink.

Harry was amused to see the quick little dance the man gave as he gazed down at the weapon and shield they acquired. As he lifted the sword, something inside of him glowed and moved into the glistening metal. When he swung it a trail a light, very faint and barely visible without looking for it, followed the path of the blade. It seemed that it was enchanted somehow to harness magical energy. The man sheathed it and went to sit before the flames, meditating for a few moments until the bonfire glowed brighter. A ball of light began to expand from the man himself in response. After both lights died down the warrior stood again, taking out his sword and giving it another swing. This time the trail of energy was a bit darker, telling Harry that the man did something when he stared into the fire that made himself stronger. Harry would think at length about what could be the cause, though all he could tell for now was that it must do with the light the man absorbed when he killed monsters or the undead.

Feeling somewhat useless, Harry took his time studying the movements and techniques used by the battle mage. He carried a shield and a small staff he used to cast spells in his left hand and a longsword in his other, replaced by the slightly smaller enchanted blade he just plundered. His armor was lighter than when he began, but still covered in chainmail with a few choice pieces of rusty plate scavenged from enemies to provide protection to some of the more vital areas. It was all covered with a dark brown cloak that Harry saw stop arrows and even spells. On the inside were even some clever pouches and straps the man used to carry useful and important items. He was somewhat amused to see the warrior collected keys, keeping a large keyring on his person. From what he could tell, such a collection would actually be priceless in this land of locked doors and collapsed passages. Harry made sure to remember to look up magical lock picking methods, maybe even the regular method if he had time.

At the end of the run-down and smelly looking cave that they had begun venturing down they could both make out a large hulking figure. Hefting his sword the man strode forward with his shield at the ready, watching for other dangers. One of the boards underfoot cracked, causing the large figure to turn around. Upon seeing them it threw its head up and let out a massive roar before lunging forward. Down the cavern several more howls could be heard, followed by the thudding of several more set of heavy feet.

The Ogrid creature was slow thankfully, not even requiring him to back up to be ready. It came straight for him, swinging a club recklessly. The warrior dodged neatly underneath it and jabbed his blade up underneath its armpit into the chest. It reeled away, the sword pulling out, before giving another yell and charging again. Showing great dexterity the man managed to slash it harshly across the chest while dodging its second swing, shuffling around towards its back where he stabbed it several times. With one final roar the beast fell to its knees and disappeared, a large pile of putrid rubbish left in its place.

Harry was amazed as he observed how the man proceeded down the tunnel. Several more of the fearsome creatures lurked in the darkness and rotting wood. Most came in groups, leaving the warrior little room for error. For the most part he dispatched them with his sword, but two glowing blasts of light finished one off that had been particularly difficult to defeat. However if Harry thought the cave was a strange sight, the massive cavern at the end was unbelievable.

It opened on a cliff at the top of what could only be described as an entire city built out of scrap wood fixed to the rock wall. All over he could see movement, in the distance strangely dressed men and closer what appeared to be some sort of vile, malformed demon. Above the rock opened up to show what appeared to be the bottom of the city walls themselves. Below lay a swamp with more of those evil looking beings and enormous slugs wiggling in the mud. As much as this all got to Harry, it did not seem to effect the man at all. With barely a pause he jogged forward, coming across a chest which he pilfered yet another key from. Without delay he was down a ladder nearby, followed by several more as he made his way to the swamp. Those strange creatures were waiting below, but proved all but useless as fighters. The man dodged around their chunky forms and skewered them easily.

As he neared the bottom Harry found they had a bit of a decision. One way lead downwards to the swamp, the other leading towards the rest of the town, which they had only seen the outskirts of. With a chuckle the man looked back and up, right at where Harry was watching him from, and raised his shoulders in a shrug. Placing his sword point first into the wooden planks, he spun it like a top until it began to fall. It fell right in the direction of the town which seemed to be enough for the man who picked up his blade and ran up the creaking planks.

After a long time spent carefully dodging around the darts of the locals waiting ahead, the man had managed to kill all of the annoying undead in the area. They all had some sort of blow dart which was covered in a foul poison that made him sick almost immediately upon being pricked. They had been guarding an area of the grand cities sewer system still left intact. Below were several more problems; small red dogs that of all things breathed fire. Tired and appearing to be low on the healing liquid, the man started to use his spells. There was not much variety or excitement in their casting, but it was interesting to see how limited the spell was. Even ten meters above the dogs they were still able to dodge out of the way from the quick moving arrows sometimes. Before long they were all dead however and the knight proceeded down another ladder to collect a glowing rock from one of their bodies. Further down a side passage was a corpse sitting up against some metal grating. In its chest glowed a strange looking spiked ball of almost solid looking energy. They, or the man at least, had come across them before. A woman below their home fire would take it and make their healing liquid more powerful, all of which confused Harry greatly besides a basic understanding of cause and effect. It pulled from the body and dissolved into the mans hand, who looked at his empty gloves for a moment before standing up and moving on.

It seemed that he did not feel up to fighting through the rest of the shanty town, no matter what treasures it could have. Below was the direction he knew to go, and so made his way towards the bubbling swamp. Mostly he traveled by ladder, but at one point had to jump aboard a large water wheel and ride it down. A few more of the swamp demons were waiting but easily dispatched. For a moment the warrior stood at the edge of the sludge not wanting to step in, but there was no path across. It seemed he would have to walk into it and eventually took the first step.

It was not too deep, but Harry was thankful he did not have to trudge through it himself. On his way through the waters, towards the white banks of a strange looking hill in the distance, he was accosted by a couple of the demons again. The sludge slowed him down, but he managed to defeat them with only a mild burn from the chaotic flames they spewed. Under another piece of the crumbling sewer was the welcoming sight of another bonfire. The man walked up to it and plopped down in front of its warm glow.

Its flames glowed brighter and brighter, comforting and warming Harry. Both himself and the man were soon lost in its entrancing glow, though only one would have to wake back up to the nightmare. He was thankful to have a companion for however long though, even if he could not interact with them. Anything was better than the loneliness, trapped in the dark by oneself.

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Task two is up next. Let me know what you think and thank you very much for reading.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Warning: I did write a love scene, as bad as I am at it I should at least make an attempt at character development.

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Despite the remarkable amount of build up to the Yule Ball the actual social itself was quite underwhelming to many students. Mostly this came from a disappointing display from the various champions who seemed to only be there because of tradition. For Harry the only good part was getting to dance with Luna and their somewhat matching purple outfits. His bright purple dress robes fit him surprisingly well despite how goofy the color was. Luna's dark purple dress was well received by the press, both for the clever charm placed on it that made it look oily and even sparkle and for how well she wore it. Neither was unaware of the heads they turned as they entered the ball, but the best friends cared little.

Somehow the night went without feeling awkward, but both become very aware of how the other felt. Not that they were silly enough not to really see it before, but certainly they had been silly enough to try denying it.

Neville was as red as the Gryffindor standard for the champions dance but soon warmed up to his date. Parvarti was quite happy looking the whole night, and did her best to make him feel comfortable. Several other girls had started to eye up the champion, whose daily training and new confidence was showing a very wizardly side they hadn't seen before. Most of the group that Harry had become close with had taken over one of the tables, spending most of their night there laughing and having drinks of firewhiskey the twins snuck in. This carried on until the formal dancing was long over and the band was a few songs in. Only whispers were heard about the party that was thrown within the bowels of the castle by Harry Potter and the Weasely Twins.

Bubbles and rapidly flashing floating balls of light filled the old classroom they used and Harry found himself introduced to one of the miracles of muggle science, or at least thats how the seventh year described it to him. Harry began to hallucinate quite intensely a while after taking the strange drug, which amused him greatly at first. However the second he started seeing the shambling forms of the undead and glowing eyes of giant monsters he began to get worried. Luckily the seventh year was nearby to see his distress and was quick to cast a spell on him that flushed the drug, and other toxins apparently, out of his systems. After a pat on the shoulder and being told it didnt work favorably on some people Harry realized how sober he suddenly was and began to get a hangover from the drinks they had shared that night. Luckily there was of cure available nearby and Harry was soon back to getting lost in oblivion with his friends.

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"Welcome, my fair witches and wizards, to the second task of the prestigious Tri-Wizard Tournament! Im sure-" As with most events such as this Luna did not even try to pay attention any further to what the announcer had to say. At best they were doing their job to explain whatever was going on and at worst they were someone who enjoyed yelling at crowds of people. She was far too busy worrying about Neville, and to a lesser extent, Harry.

It seemed she was never done worrying about her best friend and knew never would be. Neville she felt would be quite safe and was mostly just concerned that he would choke up or loose his confidence at the last moment. From where she sat it seemed like he was relatively relaxed and had even given her and Harry a smile and thumbs up before the announcer began. The three had trained every day for months at this point so she knew he was well prepared but Neville's doubt was almost inevitable. She took a moment to think about how positively it affected them all, seeming to boost not only their magical strength but also stamina as their physical conditioning carried on. Neville had already lost a healthy amount of weight, though he had started growing bigger after a while from his extended training he did on top of what they did together. Luna and Harry were both admittedly quite small for their ages and were glad to see that they had started to get bigger themselves but neither would deny the physical powerhouse Neville was fast becoming. She was a bit disheartened by how far left they had to go before reaching their goals of fighting Dark wizards but with Harry's encouragement pushed on.

A floating Burdbelter brought her attention back towards the Lake, with the starting horn blaring a moment later. The crowd also began to loose focus on the pompous looking officials speech. Seeing this he "accidentally" knocked the microphone to cause screeching feedback, hushing the audience immediately. Harry himself laughed rather loudly at the mans behavior with others around him joining in. This was just another piece of "poor behavior" Rita Skeeter would report on. Despite her near slanderous articles most of Magical Britain simply laughed at the new generations boldness in the face of false authority when reading about the student bodies uproar. Many of Harry's supporters were confused by her article for harping his lack of involvement in the task and his relatively good public image at the moment. Her editors quickly denied any of her further article submissions about the Boy Who Lived after poor reviews from the public.

Luna herself was unconcerned about it all, knowing at the time what the event was and that Parvarti was at the bottom of the lake but otherwise fine. Neville was, in her opinion, more than prepared for the event. Neville dedicated quite a lot of time to his training on top of making all his classes. His discovery of Gillyweed was the thing they truly needed to be sure he could complete whatever obstacles were in the depths. From there they explored what was at the bottom of the lake, not caring that they were all being quite obvious about what the task involved. Krum and Cedric stopped holding back and started to do so themselves and even swam with them at times to see the almost unknown secrets that could be found in the dark depths of the lake. The papers had noticed and reported on all of it with great anticipation for what their actions meant. Fleur was the only one who did not practice in the lake but rumors said that their carriage had a swimming pool inside.

Of course Harry had thankfully discussed what happened during the first event with Luna, or at least what he experienced during his repeated days spent finding out the truth. It was quite a surprise, but she seemed to handle it well. There were a few warning signs about his mental state she wanted to discuss, mostly involving the nonchalant way he glazed over being killed, but she felt they had talked enough about it to work through most of his problems. After the dance, which was quite wonderful in her already wonderful life, even more of his worries seemed to lessen.

By the time Neville surfaced in the lake, a smiling Parvarti in his arms, most of the audience already knew he was about to win the task and had gone wild. He was the first to finish, and had done so nearly perfectly. Right behind him was Victor who was getting quite a bit of cheer himself for a similarly flawless run. He was carrying a very happy looking Hermione Granger. His cheers increased when he managed to revert his partial transformation into a shark with practiced ease. Not far behind were Fleur and Cedric. Both had been injured slightly, Cedric by Mermaids and Fleur by firekalp, but worked together to swim the french witches sister and Cedrics Beauxbaton girlfriend to the surface. Nobody really liked her, even Cedric later admitted it, as she didn't really do much during their time together besides being "kidnapped". It was nice that she at least showed concern over the claw marks on Cedrics back from the mer-she spear that he had been attacked with. Fleur was similarly hurt on her back, being caught by a sentient form of plant thats kelp-like tendrils wrapped around and stung their prey. Luckily she had seen the threat and blasted it away, but a palm sized burn was left along her spine that would pain her for year to come.

Luna's day continued to go well afterwards with the during the entire school's celebration. Every student, and most teachers, could be seen laughing and singing up and down the hallways. If that wasn't surprising enough, students from the other schools joined them about the school grounds in mass. Luna was glad to meet so many of the foreigners whom she had not interacted with as much as she would have liked. Her trips abroad with her parents made her quite fond of meeting foreigners and she could not wait to go looking for the faeries of france and even some of the more dangerous creatures further north on the mainland that they told her about.

Somehow she managed to find a boy from Beauxbatons and a girl from Durmstrang, Nerida and John, who were both very interested in magical creatures. Their respective groups of friends had been invited to the Looney Bin after having spent a good portion of the evening talking with Harry and Luna. This had proved to be quite a good idea for a greater reason than just making new friends. Nerida had quietly nudged John in the middle of their conversation and pointed to something behind Luna that she had been trying to ignore. John was quick to stand and go over to his classmate that had been very overtly hitting on Harry. He himself was far too caught up in a game of "dizzy wizard" to be paying her any attention, or at the very least she hoped he was doing a good job of ignoring her advances on purpose. John had roughly swung the girl around by her shoulder and screamed some very rude sounding words in french which quieted a good portion of the room. Luna had indeed noticed the girls behavior towards Harry but didn't think it was a big deal. John, and Nerida, thought otherwise. As the two french students talked John seemed to relax, and brought her over to Luna.

"It would seem that this drunk little fool has an apology to give you, Luna." Luna was about to respond but the other girl jumped in.

"Im really, really sorry Luna! I am so drunk I thought he waz another boy, I did not mean to-" Luna had heard enough and stood up with a smile. Giving the distraught girl a quick hug she sat down and patted the spot next to her, which was taken tentatively. Nerida was trying her best to stay serious at her new friends odd behavior. It seemed to be born out of constantly keeping people off guard with the purpose of making her own life more entertaining.

"What is your name?" She asked her, sitting just a bit inside of what would be considered most peoples personal space.

"Miraille.."

"Well im not mad Miraille. Even if you had been trying to flirt with Harry it wouldn't be too much of my concern. If he likes me as much as I like him then I'm sure I have nothing to worry about. Thank you though for apologizing though. Shot?" The small blonde girl had remained dead serious throughout her speech, ending it by pouring two shots of firewhiskey and offering her new friend one.

A few more fingers of the burning liquid later and Marielle had invited her family to stay with hers when they visited France that summer.

Harry and Neville drank themselves quite silly throughout the celebrations, but as the night wore down Harry did as well. Neville was apparently "Not allowed!" to stop, or at least that is what the Twins claimed was in the rule books. Luna found herself and an increasingly nervous-looking Harry walking somewhat alone at the back of their pack of Loons as the explored the familiar hallways. Without warning Harry had grabbed her about the waist and pulled her down a hidden passage. She said nothing, knowing exactly what the alcohol had convinced Harry to do. Or at least just give him the courage. When they were well and alone he stopped and turned back to face her.

"Blast, im more pissed than I thought, but I promise this is all what I really feel!" Harry was gasping like a fish and oblvious to silent chuckles of his friend as he looked at the ground defeated by his own insecurities. When he looked up he saw her laughing and smiled back, letting out a held breath.

"Harry, we both love each other. Do you deny that?"

"No, not at all-"

"Well I think that nothing has changed then, unless you were about to tell me that Tom is your father."

"Nothing- I mean its not like I care if you dont-"

"Okay, so since we have admitted that we both love each other and are of similar ages at about that time we become interested in other witches and wizards in more ways than friends-" There was a pause as she redrew breath to finish her statement, "I think we should kiss."

"What!" Harry stopped as Luna stood up and gave him a tight hug and looked up at him.

"We don't have to right now specifically, but I would prefer it sooner rather than later."

Harry, shaking like a cat climbing bamboo, managed to smush part of his lower face flesh into some part of Luna's face. She did not do too well herself, somehow ending up kissing Harry on the throat. Both had closed their eyes and just guessed, not the most advisable move for a first kiss.

Their second go, after some quiet laughter, was a bit better.

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Even the paintings could be heard to say it was the most celebrating the school had seen in a hundred years. Despite the literal piles of empty bottles and passed out students everyone was very happy. Reporters loved the event, the public excited to see the new generations of witches and wizards getting along, who's countries had barely even gotten past the biggest war the world had ever seen. It was not long before there was demand for exchanging students and the international community congratulating the union of such different European countries.

Dumbledore pondered this and many other things in the weeks that followed, but wasn't seen without a smile. His goal to bring the schools together was working wonderfully, something that he hoped would build future relations the countries would need to truly band together. That was far down the line, but steps like this were where it really started.

The greater good often requires the manipulation of children, as the old saying goes. Dumbledore simply felt that he was doing so with as much benefit to them as there was to his own goals.

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A/N

There are none, woohoo!


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The final task. Of the tournament at least.

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Neville stood as straight as he could, doing a phenomenal job of standing still despite the shake in his legs. Taking deep breaths he did his best to focus on other things, growing somewhat used to this ritual. The roar of the crowd in front of him was somewhat calming, his hearing so overwhelmed that he found it surprisingly easy to clear his mind.

He thought about his "outstanding success" in the last task as the papers had put it, though he was adamant this was due mostly to the help of his friends training. He was refreshed after the long break between tasks and glad that the judges were open with what the final task would be. This ended up broadening his studies to include all manner of magical creatures that one could expect to find in a maze. Otherwise he enjoyed a fairly regular schedule with no more scares like at the beginning of the year. Harry seemed convinced that Voldemort must be planning something for the third task but Neville convinced him there was nothing they could do about it as students unless something new was learned.

He broke from his reflections when he saw the familiar sight of Luna's hair near the top of the stands, its bright shade not regularly seen at Hogwarts. Harry waved at him as he saw they had his attention, the rest of the group standing up and cheering loudly. Parvarti was nearby with her sister looking worried. Still, she gave him a smile and a wave which he returned with a thumbs up and smile that was as thin as her own. Despite how much they discussed what could happen, neither were truly okay with his forced involvement in the tournament.

No matter how much he was wishing it would stay loud, the horn blared to signal the start of the final task. Knowing wasting time would be idiotic he took off at a brisk sprint into the maze. Neville was quickly cut off from the cheer of the crowd before he rounded the first corner. After a short distance he stopped to release his stomach into the bushes before wiping his mouth and continuing forward. Once again he doubted the benefits of becoming a Tri-Wizard Champion instead of a Squib.

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Neville was sadly unaware of last minute arrangements for the maze, only an owl being sent to each contestant to warn them. Despite this there was little notice of the near unanimous vote by all five members of the tournament board, consisting of the top contributors to the tournament, hiding behind a philanthropist's glory. All but one had agreed that the maze should be made harder, claiming that Dumbledores prior requests for extra safety standards being met had made the tournament too easy. Most of the council had agreed for, at least somewhat, reasonable excuses; knowing that a more dangerous task would bolster sales of newspapers to the international community and increase tourist exchange. None of them recognized the intent of some board members, hoping that the underage contestant would not survive the ordeal. Nobody but direct followers of Voldemort knowing that Neville's message about the changes was intercepted.

Despite the odds being stacked against him, Neville faired well during his desperate sprint through the dense foliage. There were many dangerous beasts lurking in the shadows, hidden amidst the turns inside the shrubbery. A group of Acromantulas had attacked him first, catching him off guard as he turned around in response to the sound of the second contestants bell.

Hairy bodies approached him from all sides besides below his feet, the hours spent dodging Harry's stinging hexes was the only thing that saved him initially. Fire erupted from the end of his wand, just bright enough to push the eight-legged horrors back. When the light faded they renewed their attack. Neville fought through his stutter and managed to cast a green mist around his body, a simple spell that attacked the senses of beings in his direct proximity. Without hesitation he began casting into the mass of limbs and hair surrounding him, punching a hole in their offensive. Keeping low he ran as fast as he could into the pale light that permeated the maze. One stray fang, released in blind fury, scraped his left bicep. Tears blurred his vision as he fought back the pain, making his way through the dense bushes with nothing other than his ability to differentiate between light and darkness. Before long the poison took its toll and caused him to slump to the ground. Once again saved by the reactionary training that Luna had encouraged he was able to cast a stream of pale light from his wand that encompassed his injured arm. All pain vanished from his body, at least that which was inhibiting him, as he felt his pulse slow. He could quite shockingly feel the flow of poison from his extremities out of his arm. Wiping the goo from his robes he did the best he could to bandage the wound with a strip of his thick cloak. Once the pain had subsided there was little to do besides continue forward.

After his encounter with the horde of spiders a good portion of his progress seemed quite easy. Devil's Snare seemed to be placed quite often throughout the maze, though quick blasts of flame sent them back into the undergrowth. A very large version of his grandmother, complete with blood-dripping fangs and wielding a cleaver, had met him around one corner. Neville almost laughed as he ignored the Boggart while locking it back in its wardrobe.

Having attended, and enthusiastically participating, in Care for Magical Creatures he was unsurprised to come face to face with a Blast-Ended-Skrewt. After a moment he realized it was several times larger than it should be and jumped back around the corner he came from. Thinking quickly, he conjured a crude clay pot into his hand. Casting his best disillusionment charm on it, turning it little more than a shifting shade of gray, he tossed it around the corner past where the giant Skrewt waited. Peaking through a few leaves he saw that it had taken the bait and turned around, prompting him to send the most powerful spell he knew into the weak spot at the base of its tail. There was a bloody explosion as the dark blue bolt of light that Harry taught him crashed into the beasts flesh. Spectators watching from the stands did not need the magically enhanced sound to hear the explosion and screech, never mind the flash of light from amidst the seemingly endless rows of hedges.

In a moment all seemed lost, the sudden burst of flames above his head meaning nothing but death to the young wizard as he realized his mistake in killing the explosive creature in such close quarters. His eyes grew wide as the flames flowed around an invisible barrier protecting him. Another flash of red light saw a strange bird-like creature falling to the ground next to him.

"'Vatch yourself Longbottom, eet iz far too early for you to meet death." The pleasant voice of his Half-Veela opponent gave away her position behind him. Without thinking he turned and gave the approaching witch a hug. Both of them were surprised by his flood of tears. "Shh, eet iz okay. Cry quickly if you can, for there iz no time to dawdle. Shh..."

For a few moment the youngest champion continued to sob, coping with his near loss of life. She hummed a tune that he did not know, calming him within moments. Taking advantage of the darkness he managed to compose himself after releasing her from his embrace. She gave his shoulders a squeeze before letting go herself.

"T-thank you." He managed to say, feeling ashamed,

"None of zat! Eet iz a miracle eizer of uz have survived this long. Now follow me, perhaps we can escape this nightmare together, yez?" His nod was all she needed to head off in the direction that the Cup likely waited.

Several stretches of bushy passage went past before anything happened, the silence weighing on them as each moment passed. Right before Nevilles face passed a blur of dark energy that was barely visible in the darkness. He noticed it hit Fleur as he rounded the corner she had just passed. Without looking he had cast another of the powerful blue spells Harry taught him. Bile rose to his mouth as he saw the bloody stump of Victors arm blasted apart by the blue arrow. Running up to his fellow contestant, who had passed out from shock, he conjured a thin piece of rope and tied off the gushing stump. Fleur screamed behind him, able to see the blood and mangled flesh littering the hedges around himself. Neville cast a bright red spark into the air before grabbing her arm and leading her back into the forest.

"What did he cast on you?" He managed after she began to follow him consciously.

"I-I vould not say I know for certain, but my mind grew fuzzy. All I could hear vaz his words in my mind, telling me to run around ze other turn he came from. Do you think eet waz the Controlling Curse?" Neither needed for him to confirm this as he lead the way forward.

After his adrenaline, and her shock, wore off their paces began to match one another. Neville began crying once more, this time Fleur only felt it was necessary to pat his back and pull him forward. Just as they began to regain focus yet another magical being appeared in front of them, or at least they appeared in front of it.

Both stared at the Sphinx in shock, neither ready for such a rare and ancient being to be there. It studied them for a few moments, its tail starting to swish back and forth. They were quite confused by its following laughter, yet another strange sound the crowd heard from the maze. When its chuckles ended the two were surprised yet again.

"Oh, if only the Pharos could see this! Truly you young royals are a sight, covered in bloody guilt. Never before have I struggled to come up with a proper riddle upon looking at you mortals. If you make me a promise not to tell anyone, I may be willing to let you pass unchallenged." Fleur and Neville both looked like pale fish in the darkness, prompting further chuckles from the bare-breasted lioness.

"I wont tell a soul." Started Neville, the Sphinx standing up to attack before he raised a bloody hand to stop it. "However we all know the press don't have any."

There was a tense moment as the Egyptian creature stared at them. When it sank back onto its haunches they both released a heavy sigh.

"While not the perfect answer, you answered well enough. My knowledge of your journalists is quite limited but enough to acknowledge the merit of your response. Continue forward young ones, and be wary of the beasts that lurk in the light." The sphinx leapt into the air, its wings spreading out as they caught the air above the maze.

"Bloody fucking hell that was close." Muttered Neville, looming at Fleur for a response.

"You don't need to tell me. I was about to thank it before you spoke."

"I didn't mean to impress it like that. At most I thought it would laugh again before killing us." He was caught off guard by the heavy smooch on his cheek. Again he thanked the darkness for hiding his embarrassment.

"I-" he tried.

"None of zat! Parvarti will understand."

There was nothing else to be said as they laughed, painful as it was, and took off once again into the darkness.

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Harry found himself as drawn up in the excitement as the crowd around him. While the crowd was shown the wake of each contestants struggles they did not know what the various lights and roars meant until afterwards. Sweat trickled from his brow just as the sands of time passed, only comforted by the tight grasp of Luna's hand around his own. Both had anticipated the danger Neville would face in the maze and did their best to prepare Neville for the final task. As flashes of light and screeches of monsters emitted from the hedges his concern grew. None had considered the maze would be filled with so many challenges, the trails of carnage evident that they were wrong. When the first shower of red sparks rocketed above his heart had leapt to his throat only for his panic to subside and rise several more times as the crowd learned of Victors fate. His anger also rose and subsided as they heard of how Victor had attacked his friend under the Imperious Curse. Even he would not deny that the event was successful in its goals to entertain, however much the whole thing angered him.

As time seemed to disappear into the dark canopy of the maze Harry grew suspicious of the danger in the maze. Swarms of giant spiders and oversized Skrewts were far outside a reasonable challenge for students. It was the whispers that emanated from his scar into his thoughts that forced his decision to summon his broom and take off towards the maze. This was yet another detail that the media would obsess over in the coming weeks.

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"Mr Longbottom and Madame Delecour, what an honor to have you here today! Such a shame the poor Cedric drew his wand first, I'm sure his soul was quite a strong one." Neville did his best to blink the blood from his eyes that trickled down his forehead, beside him Fleur was doing her best to recover from a concussion after they were both hit with mild bludgeoning curses. Before them stood a man laden in thick black robes, an imposing voice emanating from the cloaked figured arms. "Do not worry my children, we await only a few more guests. Im sure it wont be long. Sit tight while I arrange the... Refreshment." Neither of the two champions tried to follow the movements of the death eater, trying their best to free themselves of their bonds without drawing attention to themselves. Fleur found a sharp corner of gravestone beneath herself and began to fray the ropes that bound her hands. Neville stopped his struggle as he noticed that he was blocking their attackers view of Fleur.

"Voldemort is it then? You have truly returned?" He spat out, his rebellious words ending with a scream as he was hit with the Cruciatus curse.

"Do not speak my name again unless you wish to miss the festivities. Of course I have returned, perhaps a better question would be why it took me so long." Neville opened his mouth to speak again but was silenced as a mass of blue lights popped into existance behind the Dark Lord. A moment later they rushed towards Voldemorts handler, all impacting in the same moment. Even from several meters away the spray of blood rained on the captives.

"Get out of here Harry! Theres more behind the gravestones!" Shouted Neville as he tried to warn his friend. He had not known for sure but thought he had seen Harry zoom in on his broom and grab the cup at the same time himself and Fleur did. When they had come to there was no sight of his friend which had given him hope he had only imagined seeing him. It was only by chance he recognized the ripple of cloaks behind a few gravestones when the wind picked up, and he did his best to warn Harry. Bright flashes of red and blue light took over the Graveyard as the waiting death eaters jumped out and stunned the boy-who-lived. When he was secured against a gravestone that stood above a bubbling cauldron Voldemort began speaking again. This time brought forward by non other than of Bellatrix LeStrange, escaped from Azkaban without notice.

"You wasted your opportunity Harry! Not that it would have mattered, but I find far more joy in tormenting my prey."

"Fuck off-" replied Harry, unable to finish his sentence as the grave he was tied to, depicting an angel of death, moved and pressed its large stone scythe up against his throat.

"We will have time for that in a moment. Bellatrix, begin the ritual!" At his command the crazed witch began laughing as she danced around with the bundle of cloth that held Voldemort. Neville had trouble seeing all that she did and could not hear her, but he did see her take a bone from a grave and place it into the cauldron before slicing Harry's arm and collecting some of his blood and adding that as well. To both his and Fleurs surprise she completed the ritual by dropping the bundle of cloth into the bubbling mixture, filling the graveyard with ominous silence when the flames and boiling stopped immediately. Fleur nudged his leg, showing him that her bonds were cut. She tried her best to loosen his own while the Death Eaters were distracted but they were tied too tightly. After a few whispered words they both carefully shifted to the side so that Neville occupied the spot she just had, going to work cutting his own bonds on the chunk of grey stone.

All the while Harry screamed in pain, growing silent a moment before the cauldron exploded from within.

In its place stood a newly reborn Dark Lord who was immediately handed his wand. Still in the nude, though the shadows of the graveyard protected all mortals from such a ghastly sight, he cast a powerful Cruciatus curse into Harry who began screaming again. After a moment Voldemort started to laugh and relented, conjuring wispy bits of darkness to hug around his pale frame.

"It is good to be back!" He shouted into the night sky, arms outstretched. All of the Death Eaters made their way forward to kneel before their insane master. After a short speech and a few threats of pain he made the statue release Harry, intent on dueling the Boy Who Lived.

Harry put up quite a fight for a fourteen year old, even receiving slight praise from the crazed Dark Lord. During this time Neville finished cutting his bonds and began working out a quickly whispered plan with Fleur. Both agreed that they needed to wait for the right time so that Harry could return with them, the Tri-Wizard cup behind them being a portkey back to Hogwarts. Beside it was Cedric, his life eaten up in green flames with blank eyes staring ip into the night. As the duel went on their concern grew, neither wanting to leave Harry, but he was no longer fairing well with the more powerful wizard and his defeat seemed imminent.

"What happened to that fighting spirit from before Harry! You can do better than this!" Voldemort cackled, a bolt of purple lightning was sent towards Harry who was unable to dodge it. It crackled through the air before wrapping around his arm instead of exploding. Harry screamed as it burnt through his padded champions uniform and into his skin. It hung limp and smoking and Harry was forced to hold his wand in his other hand. Then something in the world shifted, time itself slowing down. A bright blue haze glowed around the graveyard as the onlookers watched the two wizards cast at one another again. Harry's red spell collided with the killing curse cast by Voldemort, locking them in a standoff of magical power. Neville was amazed to see ghostly shapes circled around the two, in particular Harry. Suddenly everything shifted again, time snapping back into place like a stretched rubber band. Harry was at Neville's side in a moment, pulling both him and Fleur up. Neville would never forget the howl of rage that Voldemort yelled at them as they all grabbed onto the cup, Harry having picked up Cedric at the last moment.

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The waiting crowds celebration was cut short by the crying, bloody and bruised students that arrived instead of cheering champions. It would be days before everything was sorted out, and even then the British Ministry did its best to discredit claims that Voldemort had returned. Only a few actually listened to the propaganda, the events earlier in the year as well as all three students testimony being enough evidence for most to start preparing for another war. Somehow Fudge kept his position as Minister, eventually conceding that a Dark Lord had most likely come to power and that war might soon break out. This would ultimately give him more power than he should through the increase in Auror Enrollment. Even so they would be needed in the coming days and none were opposed despite the increase of Fudges control. Most knew he would not be around much longer anyway, his leadership experience not suited to lead the country through a war.

Harry Potter, as well the the Tri-wizard tournament, were discussed heavily. Only a few actually saw the recovering wizard or his friends, most notably Madame Pomfrey who made them visit her for daily check-ups. Neville and Fleur were both given a clean bill of health soon after entering her care, however both Harry and Victor were left with permanent scars. Victors hand was gone, though it was luckily not his casting arm. While a magical prosthetic was easily found his career in Quidditch was likely over. He seemed somewhat happy about this as he apologized to, and received apology from, Fleur and Neville. Anyone who kept up with the most bubbly of celebrity gossip would eventually follow his relationship with Hermione Granger, though this was not shocking after their public unveiling at the Yule Ball and second task.

Harry's own arm recovered in function but was left with a spiraling scar that wrapped around from fingertips to shoulder. He was also almost in need of amputation from how deep the dark curse had burnt into his skin, even to the bone in parts, but Pomfrey's experience in the last war made her familiar with the curse used. His arm itched like crazy during the following weeks but was almost back to normal by the time they all boarded the train in Hogsmeade. Dumbledore had not hesitated to allow him to stay with Neville's family for the first few weeks of summer before they both left with the Lovegood family on vacation to the continent. They all met with Fleur in France in the last week before Hogwarts would resume, discovering that she would be moving to England soon to work for Gringotts.

Summer does not last forever though, and the three friends begrudgingly entered the train to Hogwarts once again. Like always, the magic of the train placated all their worries and by the time they arrived back at the castle there were smiles once again, even if they were somewhat strained. It was hard for the occupants not to laugh as Fred and George, with black and blonde hair, pretending to snog as Harry's face grew redder than their original hair color. Luna laughed along with them however and received a loud round of applause when she kissed Harry, whom promptly fainted.

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A/N

Really proud of this chapter. I feel much more confident at writing action scenes. Thanks for reading!


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

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"Is there any other questions?" Madame Umbridge said with an earsplitting sweet voice. She had answered several questions already but Harry's hand still hung in the air as the teacher ignored him. He quickly decided not to play her games and lowered his hand back to his desk. She gave him a wide grin before proceeding on with her welcoming speech.

So far only half of the school had been in her "Ministry Approved Theory of Defense" class. Somehow both the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs were agreeing that it was better, as well as a few from the other houses, but most of the school disliked the imposing woman. While the threat of war over their heads her placating words about the strength of the Ministry put many at ease. Harry was able to see she wanted the authority, and felt that by giving her what she wanted for now it would keep her from craving more too quickly. What she used to dig at him was endlessly talking about how he was a liar and that the "Dark Lord" had not returned. However he was able to ignore it while in her presence or give her vague answers when directly questioned. He was grateful she took this as compliance.

When she had finally gotten through with the rest of her boring speech they were told to read the introductory chapter of their course book. What it turned out to be was basically a first year level safety course elaborated into an entire book. Normally this was done in the first few weeks of the year, after they had practiced things like proper wand movement, pronunciation, or simply how to clean a cauldron. For some reason it went extensively into laughable examples of the misuse of magic, which was somewhat useful to know, but there was nothing substantial to the actual practice of defending oneself. Perhaps he misunderstood how long they were studying from this book, but he did not feel inclined to ask. It would be better if he didn't know.

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As the school year got underway more and more things began to change. Left and right the newly appointed "Inquisitor" could be seen, watching students and teachers alike. Always scribbling on a clipboard looking quite smug. Ministry created rules began to be posted above the entrance to the Great Hall. Worst of all was the disruption of their regular classwork. Not only were the defense classes a jokes, but many of the other teachers were being pressured into teaching "safer" spells. Heavy restrictions were placed on the library and what research students could do, a sizable portion of tomes being re-shelved into the restricted section. It was not long before Harry and his friends began studying on their own with books gathered under the invisibility cloak. While there was none of the urgency of last year to prepare for a life threatening tournament, all of them now knew there was something big coming. Voldemort was back and seemingly very powerful. Harry told them that it was something to do with his wand that saved him; Voldemorts power was more than a match for anyone and they would have to give it their all to have a hope of defeating him.

Dumbledore was somewhat vague and elusive about answering questions this year. Last year he had been somewhat distant as well, but something more had changed. Sirius had taken to a new business that kept him outside of the country, for reasons mostly unknown, but had confessed to his godson that Dumbledore was gathering what he called "The Order of the Pheonix". He described it as a vigilante group working with the ministry to fight in the last war.

"Harry, you must listen to me on this. If Dumbledore asks you to join, you must decline. I cant say why, but if he does ask just tell him that you aren't ready yet. Of course I think you are already quite cut out already for the war ahead, but focus on your education this year." Sirius and Harry sipped their glasses of firewhiskey and stared at each other for a moment. It was their last night before the school year and they had just returned back from a gathering with the Lovegoods.

"Fine, I dont wish to join anything at the moment. Like you said, I want to focus on school. Is there anything at all you can say as to why though?"

"No, not at all."

"So you're a spy then?" Harry stated, his godfathers face growing pale white for a moment.

"No im not!" He yelled, running out of the room with his hands over his ears.

This had left Harry with some questions, but he left the topic alone the next day. That was except for calling him "Bond" very loudly as they said farewell, running away from his uncle onto the Express.

Despite Harry's ability to find peace, not all were quite so willing to ignore the tyranny of Inquisitor Umbridge. Detentions were handed out left and right, the majority held by Umbridge herself. Everything from speaking out of turn to untucked shirts could land you a few hours of writing lines. Harry decided to take action when he saw the firsthand accounts of "I will not tell lies" and other such phrases scratched into students hands that had committed "serious" offenses.

It all came together after the first month of the woman's tirade at a meeting held in the strange pub at the edge of Hogsmeade most students passed by. Its dingy appearance and location away from prowling eyes was perfect for a meeting such as theirs. With the help of Neville's less restricted access to to the greenhouse supplies and the Twins brewing capabilities they were able to make candies that changed ones appearance to someone else's for a very short time. It was an amazing discovery that was tested by those attending the meeting. The "Polyjuice Pills" were a huge success, but took a considerable amount of time and care to make. However this didnt concern the Twins very much, who had plans to start a business around their pranking supplies. Everyone claimed they didnt have the money, but they always seemed quite smug when they were asked about it.

When everyone started arriving the barkeeper showed them to a large booth at the side of the inn, out of earshot from the rest of the pub. Starting a secret club within the school was not unheard of, but there were not many formed anymore other than within house Slytherin. Even then they were normally not much else than a group of friends or allies. What they were doing would be seen negatively by Umbridge and those that supported her in the Ministry. This was despite their plan to train to fight for the light side in the coming war, something it seemed that Hogwarts could not offer this year and the Ministry didn't want to acknowledge.

Of course many of them already studied together frequently. Now they planned to make time for practical training. Dueling was one thing they all felt lacking in, though most agreed that there were far more defensive spells that were easy to cast. Fred and George had already begun learning very advanced charms that allowed them to move around the castle unseen and everyone wished to gain some of their brewing ability. Their skill was very impressive, one day even Professor Umbridge spent the first half of her day a mute slipped in her tea as she drank it. She could hear herself but failed to notice nobody paying attention to her. When her first class of Slytherins and Gryffindors came in she was initially angered by their sudden outburst of laughter when she said good morning to them. After she yelled at them for their rudeness they all seemed to nod their heads and look down as always. This was among many odd things that happened to her around the school. Surprisingly enough these would be quoted as the things that made the year bearable for Hogwarts inhabitants.

In the end the gathering turned into a celebration for the formation of their "club" and their first chance to share what everyone had been talking about. It was a long round of deliberation before the name "Dumbledores Army" was agreed upon. Afterwards they tried to determine a place to meet that wasn't as well known as their usual place in the small library. Despite the shared knowledge of some of the brightest students at the school nobody knew of a place that could hold enough people. Only twelve were involved with the formation of the club but each would be inviting friends interested in joining. Among them were many in the dueling club that agreed to see if professor Flitwick would be willing to ignore them using the dueling club hall whenever possible but a permanent home would still be needed.

After a few more points of deliberation, one involving Luna's interesting suggestion of club headwear, conversation slipped into smaller groups until some went to carry out other plans. Harry left his friends to go sleep back at the castle. He had been having horrible headaches recently along with terrible headaches, a sign that he would be visiting his mute friend in the dream world.

He made his way back up the castles grounds, taking a moment of peace as he walked next to the lake and contemplated how well off he was just to be here at Hogwarts. This was quickly ruined by the appearance of Draco Malfoy, stepping out of the tree line behind him looking very out of breath. Harry thought at the very least he got an amusing memory out of the encounter.

"So Potter," Draco began as he got near, "It seems that the Dark Lord is back. Not only were you right about that but you even managed to escape him again."

"Yes it would seem so. What does this mean to you, or more importantly, what are you here to tell me about it?" Harry did not want to waste any more time not sleeping.

"He knows something about you. I was at a meeting and he mentioned it in his speech. However this doesn't seem to deter him, in fact he seemed slightly happy about it."

"Well, it seems there is indeed some sort of connection between him and my scar. Im sure he knows of my plans then, but I don't think he would be happy if he was as aware of things as I." Draco looked as if he wanted to ask more, but waited for Harry to continue. Harry decided not to this time, though he had earned it. "This was excellent news, but I feel required to ask you what I can do in return."

"Publicly ruin Notts life." Said the Slytherin after a moment. "I almost have my own plans ready but it would be far more impactful if you carried them out. When I get finished I will find you again and lay out the plan. Most of it will be up to you from there."

"Should be easy, maybe ill even get to it before then. Im in quite a hurry however so if you dont mind I will be leaving."

"Later Potter." He said as Harry walked away. After a minute he heard Draco yell- "And keep and eye out for the Dementors!"

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Harry was fearful as he lay down in his bed. He had avoided sleep the last night but found it irresistible today. He thought again of the likelihood that the strange dreams would come as they seemed to be preceded by headaches like the ones he had been having the last two days. While these dreams were not nightmares in a traditional sense, they left him feeling awful and with knowledge he didn't want. The more he learned about the curse, saw what it could do, the less hope he had for his success in the end.

It was not long before he woke back up, this time to the banging of a hammer and the crackling of a fire. Somehow he felt peaceful here, but this feeling soon ended as the armored man in front of him stood. This time he was mostly unsure of what happened since the last time he was here. His armour had been replaced with a set that seemed a bit smaller, but made with much finer materials and craftsmanship. His leather and chainmail attire was topped by a dark blue hood that draped far over his face to obscure it. However he still carried the gold and blue shield adorned with a dragon and the sword glowing in its scabbard.

They walked purposefully out of the alcove containing the magical burning fire to walk across a bridge. At the end was a large stone building, the entrance a smaller archway with rusty portcullis raised. Memories of the bells ringing made him suspect that they were the reason the door opened. He also recalled brief conversation with a dozing knight wearing onion shaped armor, someone they both hoped to meet later. Harry, and presumably his guide, could not see inside until they were very close. They hesitated for a moment as a large shadow loomed out of the dim interior. Metal shone through the air as a hulking snake-man jumped out of the darkness. None noticed the tile under its foot press downward or hear the clunk of metal gears. Harry was amazed as three large bolts slammed into the creature from behind, causing it to fall to its knees and eventually slump onto the ground. The Warrior stepped forward, around the trapped tile, and slid into the dark entrance of the fortress. Two more large snake-men awaited, running at them one at a time as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Almost casually the man raised his sword and flung a bolt of blue magic off the end. It slammed into the farther of the two attackers, stunning it for a moment. At the same time the sword came back down, slashing into the neck of the closer snake-man. A kick and two more slashes later and the monster fell swearing in snake language to the ground. There was little time to dodge as the second attacker jumped forward and slashed its sword. They managed to bring their shield up to block the blow before slashing their glowing sword in response. The snake-man was able to block with his large shield as well, hissing loudly as the sword bit into the metal. More blows were traded before the Warrior jumped behind the snake-man as it gave a powerful lunge forward. Once again the sword glowed as it struck upwards into the creatures back. With a hiss it dissolved into grey mist, its sword left behind clattering on the floor. It glowed for a moment as the man picked it up, but after he tossed it into a dark corner it seemingly disappeared. Turning they began makingtheir way past the entrance room. Strange statues of knights lay piled against the wall near the door inside and what awaited was a dark madness of traps and madness.

Narrow bridges spanned the dark expanse of the keeps interior. Darkness pressed in from all sides, but worst of all was the steady rocking of giant bladed pendulums, swinging right over the first bridge. More could be heard up above, promising future pain. Harry had to give credit to the mans determination as he took off across the first stone path. Ahead were two snake warriors, the first running forward to meet him. Its tenacity was punsihed as it was pushed back with a deft kick straight into the path of the first blade. With a hiss it was struck directly into the side to be carried into the darkness on the pendulum. Its hissing could be heard still as it fell into the darkness, showing its depth to be not all that deep as white mist bloomed where it seemed to land.

Little time was wasted as the Warrior slid past the first couple of pendulums before meeting the second snake warrior. Both struck at the same time, hitting each others shields. The snake man fell back to the side, falling off the edge. In a surprising move its tail swung up to smash into the Warriors leg. He too fell but landed on his side. Harry wanted to cheer as he caught himself and stood up, hunching over to catch his breath. Both were very shocked as a bolt of lighting struck them from behind, blasting them forward to again fall on the bridge. They got up fairly quickly, putting them squarely in the way of the last pendulum.

Somehow they survived the thud onto the sludgy floor of the pit. As they stood to carry on again there was one final surprise in store a moment later as a large spear with blades on the end sliced through his mid-section. With a loud cough he fell to the floor, Harrys view fading to a familiar black.

After waking up several more times to the bang of a hammer, which Harry eventually learned came from to a great bearded smith that worked down a nearby set of stairs, there was some progress made. Several more traps lay in store, the most intimidating being a series of giant metal balls that rolled along the path he needed to follow. With enough speed he even managed to enter a hidden room that lay up the path the balls rolled from, finding yet another snake warrior but also a powerful ring that seemed to add a nearly invisible layer of light that covered his armor. Further ahead was another snake warrior, hiding behind a second arrow trap. After dodging the arrows and slamming the snake onto a table he cut its head off and kicked another glowing sword to the side. Further ahead was another path with metal balls rolling past. As soon as one had gone by the Warrior dashed after it down a dark tunnel. However he met only a dark drop at the end, having no choice but to turn around and be crushed by the next ball.

Their next forray had gone better, this time the man running up from where the balls came. Luckily they were able to get up past where they were coming from, but Harry heard bones break as the ball caught the mans arm as he just barely slipped past. Like all the mans injuries he let out only a grunt before taking a drink of golden liquid from his emerald flask. Moving a contraption at the top the balls began to shoot in different directions, first down a path that broke down a wall and then in another direction out into the forest below. They both observed the balls progress, past a place earlier in the dungeon and through a wall they didn't know could be broken. Further down from the new hole they could see sunlight, prompting them to sprint back down they path they entered.

When they reached it there was a surprisingly well lit chamber with a single walkway traversing its length, packed down from where balls rolled before. At the end they could see the very tops of large trees, but more interestingly a robed man leaning against the bars of one of the many cages that hung from the ceiling. As they approached Harry was surprised by the vocal response the man had. Besides an eccentric sun fanatic and a few merchants there had been a stunning lack of intelligent beings, especially this far from a bonfire.

"So it seems that I finally have a visitor. That ball gave me quite the fright when it crashed through here." When the Warrior remained silent the man continued, his voice muffled slightly by the enormous hat covering his head, tipped down over the front of his face. "So it seems you're one of the mutes. Nevermind a verbal response, I am well aware of the affects the curse can have. If you could find a key for this cage I would be most grateful, though if you cannot make it back I will not hold it against you. For now I can be content with my thoughts, though they stray to longing for what knowledge lies ahead." With a surprising chuckle the silent man pulled a ring of keys from the side of his pack, picking out the plain key found in the sewers, a piece of gold cloth that looked recently tied now adorned to mark the useful item. Inserting it in the lock and turning it Harry was surprised to see the cage door creak open, with the Large-Hatted man stepping out and promptly sitting on the tiles.

"Ah, much better to sit on solid ground and think. Worrying about that cage wobbling was quite the distraction." For the first time the old man looked up just enough that Harry could see his eyes. Either he could tell he was floating there or was just coincidently looking in his direction.

"For now you may leave me be, I will be able to make my way back to Firelink Shrine on my own. I plan to stay there for some time, so I must insist you visit me there for a fitting reward. Ive naught but my thoughts and hat at the moment, and it would be unwise for me to give you either." The Warrior nodded his head and gave a wave as he turned around to go. Harry felt he would be a useful ally later on.

Their way back was much easier, and as they progressed Harry noticed the man becoming more powerful in his movements. Snake warriors constantly blocked the path but were slashed down with bloody efficiency. While it was clear the man was quite knowledgable in the use of the strange magic of this land he seemed to hold it back.

Thin walkways were traversed with an unnatural ease, even with several fast moving blades he moved around them with barely a pause. One final bridge that was little more than a single beam with some plaster turned out to be guarded by a Snake Wizard casting bolts of lightning. He took a trap bolt in the stomach after rushing off the end of the walkway before dodging out of the way of the following shots. Both Harry and the man heard the glow of a fire above them somewhere faintly crackling away as they pressed up against a wall. Running up a nearby set of stairs they looked back to see a passage opening in the wall above the stairs. Harry watched as the man jumped forward and grabbed onto the edge, pulling himself up and cautiously walking forward with his shield raised. However the passage ended quickly to end on a balcony overlooking a vast expanse of forest and castle walls. In the middle a familiar burning fire poker was wedged, and the man was quick to set his healing flask beside it and rest up against the side of the balcony.

It seemed strange that time seemed to jump and skip again, showing scenes of the Warriors fight up the roof of the Keep. Skeleton soldiers and crossbowmen littered the roof, and above some creature threw enormous bombs down upon them. He was only seeing the mans failures to reach what awaited at the top, but together they somehow formed the tale of his progression. Harry did his best to study the mans movement and see what he did wrong. After some time Harry saw that he would often rush in to damage one opponent and then quickly slay another. Ranged enemies were dispatched as soon as possible with magic, although if there were no melee fighters he would dash in as well moving out of the way of the bolts with deft sidesteps before closing in as the mindless warriors tried to pull out a sword.

One massive knight was awaiting around a corner, staring across the treetops and ramparts as they approached. When they got near it turned to them and raised its mace and thick metal shield and started lumbering towards them like a giant black tortoise. Its mace had crushed their head after their first encounter, misjudging its speed and taking a direct hit. On their second meeting the Warrior was able to get behind it and stab the back of its legs. With a roar it fell to one knee, putting its neck in easy reach for another stab. Another roar rang out in the silent kingdom before the body of the knight was consumed in mist.

When he did finally slay the last crossbowman and slip inside the top room of the keep it was of little surprise to see a giant door of mist to their left, however two more paths presented themselves. One was a staircase leading further up, which the Warrior bolted up immediately. At the top he peaked around a corner to see the form of a decaying giant. Judging by the explosives surrounding it Harry knew it was what had been throwing them down all this time. From around the corner of the entrance he began casting spells with a short staff he previously retrieved from within the bonfire, killing it easily. Harry could not tell how he pulled the staff from the fire but reasoned this was an entirely separate existence from his own and there was already plenty that defied all his normal rules. Neville's use of the spell against the dragon was perplexing to an insane degree, as normally dragons wouldn't be hurt by a magical attack so easily. The fact that it was connected to the curse was troublesome as from his dreams it seemed that nothing good came from it in the end, and more importantly, there was no hope of a cure besides mindlessness or insanity. Neither of these options appealed to him.

Harry had been loosing focus, having been awake here for far more than six or seven hours, but the sight of bright golden letters floating over the ground snapped back his focus. It appeared he had come back down the stairs and past the white mist to the third path. As the Warrior came up to them he kneeled, pulling something from his pocket and waving it at the strange writing. Right as he stood back up a shimmering mist rose from the words to create the shape of a well armored knight wielding a massive sword and shield. In a few moments the mist grew brighter and the knight himself stepped out, dressed in thick black plate mail. He gave a quick nod of his helmet and then beckoned with the butt of his sword to follow.

After passing through the white mist door the two warriors stood on a ruined bridge. It ended halfway from the entrance to the old passage in the massive castle walls, the arches on the other side braced and mortared solidly shut even after what seemed to have been decades. Both men had less time to waste admiring the environment and had begun running towards the center of the bridge. Suddenly a giant man made of metal and wielding a similarly giant axe crashed onto the bridge causing it to shake furiously. Harry was impressed that both fighters kept their footing, one for his strength and the other his dexterity [;

Their standoff lasted only a moment before both sides engaged. The Black Iron Knight started running forward with his shield up, his own guide ran forward similarly readied. Harry wondered why the giant stood in place raising its axe for an attack while both of its opponents were so far out of range. When it brought its arm down he realized what was happening, seeing the glimmer of an unseen force rippled through the air. While Harry would have been frozen in place, his guide jumped forward behind a small pile of rubble, the blast smashing into the bricks and peppering them with rubble. Harry didn't see, but judging from the continued march forward of the Black Iron Knight he guessed that he was able to take the blow with his shield and stay on his feet. His own guide ran forward as well, the metal golem already lumbering towards them.

The Warrior made a risky move and sprinted forward underneath the giants legs, a tactic he used before on another tall enemy. It worked, causing the artificially intelligent creature to start slowly turning around. Behind it the Black Iron Knight hefted his sword with two hands and started hacking away at one of its legs. The Warrior dodged a massive sweeping attack from the creatures great axe and jumped forward past the overhead swing that followed to attack slash into its legs with his own blade. Before the injured beast could ready another attack one of its legs gave out and it fell to one knee, finished off with several more blows as it sat helpless. It went as so many other creatures did here, dissolving into mist as some of it was drained into the Warrior. Before Harry knew it the Black Iron Knight waved farewell and disappeared, the Warrior giving him a bow.

Things moved quickly from then on. More and more he jumped around, larger gaps in detail forming. Immediately was the surprise of two horribly fleshy flying creatures flew down from the wall above and lifted them up in the air. After struggling to be dropped for most of the way up to the castle walls they relaxed when began to descend on a clear platform overlooking the city below. Harry would never forget how amazing the city above the decaying city below looked. All of it was made of shining white stone with hundreds of arches and buildings. A small path lead down below looking quite inviting, but also was the only option. Farther down Harry could see the familiar figure of a gargoyle just like the ones on the roof of the church. His memories blurred, showing brief glimpses of very large knights wearing thick golden plate armor, their shields covering his entire body and pole axe towering above.

Next he saw they Warrior being surprised from behind by a knight in dull copper and blue plate in a small room with a bonfire. They only damaged him slightly as he dodged out of the way, swinging his sword around to push them back. The copper colored knight pushed forward with a small shield raised and the Warrior faked an attack before jumping to their side and bashing them with his shield. As they were stunned he stabbed at them, his enchanted sword glowing. It landed square in their chest, punching through their armor. However the creature was not quite dead and stabbed him in the side. Both pushed away and swung their swords which caught each other and caused both fighters to reel back for a moment. Recovering quickly the Warrior steadied his arm and swung again. This time it caught the copper knights shoulder, the armor emitting a feminine scream. However it sounded rough and inhuman like the other undead. With a final blow they struck the ancient knights head off, causing the nearby bonfire to go out and the Copper Knights form to fade away. Behind was left a spiky white ball inside its chest armor, both of which he picked up. After pocketing the smaller trinket he tried on the armor. It restricted his movement too much it seemed after Harry watched him try it out. He was surprised to see him carefully place it up against the dead bonfire and kneel to what he assumed was silently pray.

Harry was both relieved and amazed that time went by faster, the whole world getting brighter all the time. He saw the gargoyle roar as it fell of the edge of a bridge, but later he felt he could recall how the Warrior baited it off the edge. He was unsure as to how he reached a nearby rooftop after finding the bridge would not move. There was also the sight of him climbing in through a broken window to see it was a large church. Somehow he walked across the rafters to the other side and dropped down to another ledge and out to a balcony. A few strange men dressed in white robed had attacked him, but they their best strategy was to throw daggers from a distance and his magic dispatched them quite easily. On the balcony there was a lever, which when pulled spun a massive pillar with platforms on all sides to slide up against the stone beneath them. There would be many memories later through the next day, of more rooftops and balconies crawling with the horrid flying creatures from before. When they finally made it inside the castle itself there was only a lonely bonfire to great them. Trying to drive them out were dozens of incredibly strong knights dressed in silver armor. The horns and general design were similar to undead black knights they had encountered before but only half as dangerous in his opinion. Harry's final solid memory from the dream was of the Warrior entering a wall of mist. They watched as two massive golden knights rose to meet them. One was large and wielded a hammer thicker than most tree trunks. The other Harry had trouble seeing as they suddenly blasted forward with incredible speed, spearing them. Harry got a glimpse of a golden lions face before his vision faded to black. This time to his room at Hogwarts, surprisingly rested and feeling warm.

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Harry was not spared the next night either, experiencing more of the mans adventure. While not ideal, Harry thought it could be crucial to learn what he could. One man with spells and a sword against two giant knights was a good example to learn from. After dying to them several times he found a shortcut that made their trip back faster. After a few more fuzzy memories of dying went by he managed to kill one of them. One of many magic spears pierced right through the helmet of the Lion Knight. He fell like most, but then Harry was shocked when his partner came up and smashed him with his Hammer. Even more incredibly the Plump Knight grew even greater in size, his weapon crackling with his dead fellows lightning energy. All Harry remembered of the fight after that was them sprinting in after dodging a big slow swing and stabbing three times into the widened seams in the plump metal armor. He too fell, making no sound and simply fading away.

Nearby was two elevators that lead up to a bonfire and two large doors. Someone had been inside and given them something, but for some reason the memory was incomplete. It made him even more confused when as they kneeled at the next bonfire they disappeared, reawakening to find themselves in the place the Big Hat Wizard called Firelink. Harry feel into a deep trance after the Warrior then pulled out a white sprite that he thought about more often than he liked. After an unknown amount of time he snapped back awake, once again in his bed.

For a while the dreams passed. Harry was unsure of what to do, but confided what he thought he could to Luna without causing concern. He made it seem as if the Warrior he dreamed of was less real and more of a story character. That his dreams were more fantasy then reality. While a lot of things in the dreams this was true of, somehow the warrior-wizard was real. Already Harry could cast his spells, even learning a few useful ones after this time, and his movement in combat were very similar to what Harry tried to do. Voldemort would not go down easily, but he seemed not as spry as one would think. In fact, Harry thought he simply threw his powers around instead of practicing more skilled fighting tactics. Maybe something could be learned that gave him an ultimate advantage over Tom. This was all just worrisome distractions from his life, which was growing gloomier every day. Dumbledores Army had begun meeting in small groups every day, sharing ideas and discussing things in slightly public spots, or completely private ones, in order to avoid suspicion.

It was a grinning Padma and Neville barging in on Luna and Harry sitting together. The intruders started laughing at their red faced friends. After a few thrown pillows and angry words the teenagers calmed down.

"You guys have got to come see what we found. Hurry, I'll explain on the way" said Neville, pulling both off their couch.

"Is it-" started Luna, who was interrupted by Neville.

"No its not a bent crested snorker, or anything of the sort." He and Padma went forward, leading them to the third floor as they talked.

"Its the perfect place for us to hold da meetings at." Said Padma, her insertion of "da" for "to" tipped him off to what she meant. He immediately tried jumping into the coded speech, knowing it would be less necessary and more fun.

"That would be nice, its getting hard to find a quite spot in the castle anymore." Luna elbowed him as he almost started laughing. "How did you find this place anyway?"

"We were looking around on the third floor. I was certain I had see a br- er, room up by the tapestry with those stupid trolls." Explained Neville, however his slip was caught by both Harry and Luna. They grinned and looked at each other.

"Was that a room or a broom closet you were looking for?" Asked Harry, this time not holding back his chuckles. Luna laughed with him as well, their friends blustered to defend themselves before turning back forward and giving them the silent treatment.

When they all reached the third floor and itwas eviden they neared the place they were looking foor a room was indeed revealed, but required one to walk back and forth in a certain hallway and thinking about what kind of room you needed. Their friends had discovered it in search of a "place for some privacy" apparently, the truth of which did not escape Luna or Harry. Upon discovering an unlocked room with a bed and candles inside they were immediately sent into uproar but still spent hours trying to figure out how the room worked. Amazingly a house elf had popped into the hallway with a broken table leg, not noticing them as it paced back and forth to cause a door to materialize on the wall. It opened it and tossed the leg inside before closing it and popping away. It only took another minute for them to create the room they did before- i mean- finally figure out you could make whatever room you wanted most at the moment.

Smiles were all around later that day as twenty five young adults signed a charter and conjured a banner saying "Dumbledores Army" on the wall of their own private training room. Even a few bottles of smuggled fire whiskey were passed around resulting in much more singing and laughter than training. By the end of the night they were all properly drunk and decided to have a sleepover in the room, everyone stealthily exiting and re-entering the room to find a short hallway with two doors for the girls and boys that lead near their respective dorm rooms. A few said farewell as they went off to brave Filches eye in the dark corridors.

After a few more hours of games and exaggerated stories Harry and the rest passed out on the small cots that were strewn about the room. Harry reflected on the irony of starting his own secret society after promising Sirius not to join one. His last drink of fire whiskey fueled thoughts of wether Sirius would get it too.

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Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more.

~Fumbls


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

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Dumbledores Army had been a far bigger success than they first imagined when they had all met up in Hogsmeade. Despite the initially good nature of the club their meetings inevitably revolved around the coming war. Despite this the situation had only strengthened the groups bond. Most pushed themselves on their dueling technique and the wide array of shielding spells, counter-curses, and offensive charms they all collectively knew that were freely shared. Everyone soon began feeling the change in purpose and this did wonders to drive forward their common goals. While membership remained exclusive due to security concern with Umbridge gaining more control over the school, members found themselves benefitting greatly from involvement. Not all were able to pick up what everyone else had to offer, but few ever left a meeting without feeling they accomplished something.

Even Harry admitted to having a fairly small array of spells and magical knowledge, but he claimed that you could make up for this in other ways. He soon took up the role of showing the others how he did so with dodging and predicting how to counter various curses, along with a heavy amount of studying battle tactics. Very few spells moved all that fast and so he showed that if you focused it was not really all that hard to move out of the way. He also began teaching them some of the more advanced tactics he had deduced from experiencing the strange warrior's battles in his dreams. Not many could say they learned from mistakes that immediately lead to ones death, and neither did Harry. More out of concern for what others would think than anything.

Otherwise Harry did his best as their appointed leader to make everyone have fun and be happy. This was first done by him teaching the process of learning to cast a corporeal Patronus Charm to the dedicated members. Not many had succeeded yet, but the successes seemed to only create more...

"Bloody hell Harry, Is this even possible!" Neville shouted as he was cradled int he arms of his Patronus, the giant bear he created apparently having strong maternal instincts towards its creator. While the scene was distracting some, on the other side of the room another voice rang out.

"A CRAB!?" Shouted one of the twins, his brother laughing at him from a chair nearby. This wasn't the end, as several more members spirits were so lifted by the sight that their spells began to take shape as well. Parvarti's small bird Patronus, eventually discovered to be an Oriel, was soon chirping from the shoulder of Neville's bear. Harry's stag raced about the room with a Zebra and a Panther, though their real life counterparts speed didn't seem to make any of them faster than the others.

Otherwise his most frequent "lesson" requests were about the spells that Neville and himself used to fight the dragons during the previous year. They had initially flooded to Neville for the tutelage, causing Harry and Luna to laugh and Neville to embarrassingly explain the situation. This didnt end with much as Harry refused to spill the tea leaves, concerned about the damage they could do in the wrong hands. None of the Army was very happy, but most agreed with his concerns and even more didn't feel like pushing him to do so was a smart idea.

Neville took over teaching most of the battle magic outside of Harry's technique drills. He showed amazing skill with defensive spells, his Protego able to withstand several stunners at the same time. Many claimed they would owe him a life debt one day, his training providing many with formidable defenses they would otherwise lack. Even a few hexes cast in the hallway by the bullies of school had been deflected as a result.

Parvarti took up a similar role of leadership amongst the Army, being one of the group gifted at transfiguration. One of the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Alecia Spinnet, worked with her to help people advance their skills in summoning and manipulating objects. They even taught Harry to summon a light wooden shield to cast his strange blue warding spells, however nobody else seemed to be able to learn this from him. Even though he described its casting in the way he taught Neville to cast the offensive spells from the other land there seemed to be something missing for them to accomplish it. Parvarti and Alecia did succeed in teaching others how to conjure shields made out of physical materials to block spells, though even for them it was difficult to conjure anything other than wood and stone. A few of the seventh years were able to conjure plates of metal that could block nastier spells but this was discouraged after one of the younger members fainted from the strain put on ones magic. Despite this the group that regularly practiced shielding spells was quite large. While jumping out of the way of spells didnt require any magic, most members admitted they found casting spells to come a bit more naturally compared to leaping around the room.

Of course with the amount of various close friendships amidst their group meetings weren't always so serious.

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"So as we all know our meetings have been going quite well." Spoke Luna from atop what seemed to be a giant floating plumb. When everyone had arrived for this last meeting before the winter holiday break they had found her like this, with the Twins at the entrance to greet them acting very serious and showing them to cushions arranged on the ground before their quirky floating blonde. Even Harry had arrived not expecting this and sat with two first year Hufflepuffs that showed up only needing a but of advice about how to best place dung bombs without being noticed. When she began speaking the quiet conversations had all stopped.

"Next week most of us will be heading home to see our families. Some of us, myself included, will be staying at the castle. I am here to propose that this Army makes its first offensive with the opportunity this provides." Even Harry was a bit concerned by the exuberance she said this with. Of course those gathered were quickly put at ease. "It is time for us to show the world what we can do! For any willing to risk sacrificing themselves for the greater good we will strike joy and merriment into the hearts of our peers! They will be pranked like never before, and tales of our deeds will be sang for generations to come! Now then, who of you will stand with me and who will return to their homes and families to wish they were here!" She raised her hands in the air and waved them about erratically as she finished, the room exploding into laughter and applause. Plans were quickly made and strategies laid out along with several going to send owls home asking to stay for the holidays.

When the day of departure arrived and students were gathered at Hogsmeade station to board the Hogwarts Express only a few were ready for what was soon to happen. Some in the crowd saying farewell to their friends had smiles that were far too large, though this warning sign went unnoticed. Even as the train was boarded and left the station things did not seem amiss. Those who returned to the castle wouldn't hear about the amazing variety of patterns the robes of their friends wore by the time they arrived in London.

Five carriages carried the students back to the castle, though they were surprisingly not being pulled by invisible horses. Harnessed to the open carriages were Reindeer, with most students enthusiastically petting the creatures and pleased with the surprise the faculty seemed to have given them. Of course many smiles were turned to frowns when the shaggy creatures leapt upwards into the sky, pulling their screaming passengers with them. After the initial shock and fear the victims of the first attack were soon enjoying their ride, once again petting and praising the reindeer after landing outside the castle gate. It wasn't until the next day when everyone let their guards down that the next phase was initiated.

Suits of Armor singing carols was not an uncommon sight during the holiday break at Hogwarts, but never before had the ones who normally cast these spells found themselves the main focus of these carols. Mcgonagal and Flitwick were both unable to move about the school without at least one or two clanging suits of armor dancing and chanting merry tunes trailing behind. Flitwick proved his own vocal talent and holiday cheer as he would gather these rogue suites and lead them in joyous song for gathered students. Even Mcgonagall did her part, conjuring adornments such as santa hats and candy canes for the suites to carry. She even began wearing one of the hats herself in place of her traditional pointed hat after a deft student switched the two without her noticing.

Efforts were not limited to simple song and dance as more and more students found out. Inviting-looking presents could be found in odd corners of the hallways that covered several unlucky students with liquid that smelled strongly of peppermint, so strong that others tried avoided them for the day until the smell died down. Even then there were some that spent christmas receiving far too many peppermint related gifts from laughing friends.

Another sight that struck fear into the schools population were small fir trees that shuffled around the school on roots protruding from the bottom of their pots. Each would respond differently at the presence of students; some shaking small trinkets from their branches for students while others would grow to the size of their fully grown relatives and chase bewildered children through the halls. One even took up residence near the Whomping Willow, shaking violently at any student that approached it for generations and became its own landmark at the school alongside its older relative.

Things only escalated as christmas eve approached. Enchanted snowmen patrolled the grounds and pelted passers with snowballs before a militia of students formed to put and end to these aggressors, ending with a great battle in the courtyard. A "Queen of Snow" even arrived, rallying the snowmen in a final assault on the entrenched students that saw them giving up the courtyard to the icy grasp of its new queen. Blizzards filled hallways with snow and chilling winds, candles flickered outside of windows at night, and certain students often found their plates at meals overflowing with coal. Needless to say the school was on edge when Christmas day arrived and nothing strange happened. Of course the beautiful display of the Northern Lights that filled the enchanted ceiling of the great hall as they enjoyed dinner received much praise and everyone found a small note underneath their plates personally wishing them a happy holidays. Dumbledore himself even stood afterwards and gave a quick speech to his students.

"Im sure we can all agree this holiday at the castle is one we will all remember. While I am sure we all have our suspicions as to some of those with a hand in the festivities-" nearly every eye turned to stare at the Weasely Twins and Harry, who simply sat there with smiles, "-I am proud to have been host to such a wonderful display of holiday spirit. Times are growing dark and I am sure many of us are thankful for the distractions from such worries. Let me be the first to wish you all a happy new years and promise on behalf of the faculty to facilitate the remainder of another magical year at Hogwarts!"

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-and let me be the first to thank you for reading!


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Not quite a jiffy...

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"..Decree number twenty-four, all student organizations are henceforth disbanded, with any student in noncompliance facing expulsion." Even with the entire populace of the school in attendance for the toads announcement there was not a single sound. This seemed to please her with even those at the back of the tables in the Great Hall seeing her grin. "This extends to Quidditch, the Dueling club, and any meetings of students outside of the library. All that these have proven to promote is needless violence,and shockingly, union against the ministry. Even study groups will be included, which need to be sacrificed in the name of school security. There has been an increase in support against the actions of the ministry in this time of impending civil war with the dark side of our magical community, and I hope all of you grow to appreciate the necessity of my actions now and in the future. While your proper education will continue to be my primary focus as Grand Inquisitor, I must also remind you that my actions and rules are meant to keep you all as safe as possible against the forces of The Dark Lord."

Again there was silence at her words, this time however many students tensed up at her usage of the title "Lord". That was until one of the seventh year Gryffindors, whom Harry only knew as Terrence, stood up and yelled angrily at the madwoman.

"How dare you refer to that lunatic as lord!" He shouted amidst a sea of angry faces at the Gryffindor table. "I would also like to know in what way does taking away the dueling club help me learn to take the fight to the bastard who murdered my family!?" He was quick to yell out his piece before she had time to react, and he was not alone for long as two others seated next to him stood and glared at her questioningly.

"I am truly sorry for the loss of your parents Mr Phillips and will forgive this outburst," her smile turned back down into an even more toady grimace, "However it is not your place to question the actions of the ministry, or myself. If you wish to join the fight I would suggest applying for the Auror candidate program. However any unsanctioned group teaching lethal or dangerous spells not under the ministries direct supervision is a potential source to help the dark side as much as the light." Her smile returned for a moment as she clearly thought she had the last word, but surprisingly one of the green robed students at the Slytherin table stood up to speak his mind as well.

"Are you suggesting there are Death Eater sympathizers in the school? Perhaps getting rid of them should be your priority, not taking-" His words were silenced by a furious look Umbridge with her wand raised at him, who failed to notice the wands of nearly every faculty member drawn at herself. Dumbledore managed to give them a silent wave that had their wands put away before the insane pink toad sacked the whole school.

"There will be no further discussion about this or any subject at this time!" Her voice almost etched lines into Harrys glasses as she glared at him in particular, though he simply shrugged and stared back. "You are all dismissed! The new decree is in affect and any violators will be dealt with swiftly and severely!" With a huff she stormed out of the Grand Hall, leaving an entire school of students both speechless and outraged.

Harry however found this new challenge to be quite interesting. He only was really worried about how big the "Room of Requirement" could get. Or if it might be best to simply ask it to become an entire new school.

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Umbridge continued her reign of "Ministry Sanctioned" terror for another two months before she caught wind of anything going against her plans. Even with nearly thirty "trustworthy" students appointed as her own "Inquisitorial Squad" there seemed to be few dissenters amongst the student population. Its leader, Draco Malfoy, spent all of his time following Harry Potter and his assortment of troublemaking friends. Somehow she still grew frustrated that he found they were following her newly placed rules nearly perfectly. While there were some "forgotten" classes and several instances of illegal "pranking items" used she expected him of being involved with, she found herself growing somewhat complacent with her position. Teachers and students alike listened to her instructions and mandatory changes and even approached her with their concerns in a civilized manner from time to time. However it was a discarded Galleon underneath a desk in her classroom that finally tipped her off that things were not right.

When she discovered it would periodically change to display her own face, although looking disgustingly like some sort of frog with a long tongue sticking from her mouth, she put her squad into full action. With a bit of funding and supplies from Fudge she procured several basic cloaks of invisibility, handing them out in secret to only a few of the most loyal students. She did not have to wait long for them to all report a large amount of students moving about the school in secret using hidden passages and disappearing doors. Furthermore she discovered the insubordination from nearly her entire group of trusted watchers, with Draco actively helping this illicit activity go on. Now finding a large amount of evidence and a focal meeting point for the rebel students she made her move, quite happy with her brilliant work to help protect the interests of the ministry.

However she would later regret not taking this to her betters at the Ministry before acting. While she now had reliable surveillance in the school, she failed to realize that the school had been watching back.

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"Dear me, did we leave the door locked again? We tried our best to invite you in but your knocking was so loud we weren't sure if you could hear us!"

In front of a dust covered and winded Umbridge sat the solitary form of The-Boy-Who-Lived, seemingly quite cheerful as he relaxed in a leather armchair besides a small fire. While she had not known what to expect upon breaking into this well hidden room, a cozy study and amused lawbreaker were far from the top of her list.

"WHAT IS ALL OF THIS?" She screamed, somewhat glad to see the boy whince. "You are to explain everything immediately or it will not just be you facing expulsion and criminal charges!"

"Would you like to take a seat?" He simply asked, pouring a cup of tea from a platter nearby. She did not have to give her answer before he stood from her bent over position and he continued. "That is fine, standing does keep the blood flowing. Now I wont beat around the bush too much and just come right out and say you are completely and utterly screwed."

"WHAT!?" She screamed again, this time so loudly the cup in his hand broke and fell to the floor. She had only a moment to be surprised as a house elf appeared and cleaned it up just as fast as it had fallen.

"You see, my dear Grand Inquisitor, not only is that not your title but none of your actions under its name mean anything. Since the very moment you forced any student at this school to write lines with those blood pens you committed the very serious crime of using a Dark Artifact on a student." He paused for a moment, grinning at her in a way that finally struck home. Her stern glare wavered for a moment but it returned back even fiercer after a moment.

"How dare you make such accusations against me! You are hereby expelled from Hogwarts, and I demand you reveal every member of your illegal group-"

"That is quite enough Dolores." Interrupted Cornelius Fudge from the dark corner behind her with a heavy sigh. Behind him stood two Aurors in their blue robes, their badges reflecting the light of the fire the most visible things of their persons. Her mouth hung open still as she stood shocked, aware of the troublesome situation she put herself in. He looked away from her to adress Harry next. "I am glad now you asked for this meeting to be arranged Mr Potter, it would seem that your concerns extending past her questionable use of blood quills were warranted. Dolores, you were trusted with quite a bit of authority here and now I will face many angry questions because of your misbehavior. Not only were your requests to use those quills declined, but if this display is any indication of how you have treated the students here you have acted with a gross level of disregard for professionalism. Do you have anything at all to say before we escort you to the ministries holding cells for questioning?" For a moment it seemed like she wanted to say something but ultimately closed her mouth and looked down while shaking her head to say no. "Very well then, Aurors you may escort Umbridge to the ministry. Remind Amelia that I would like her to sit in on the interrogation so that we may proceed with the hearing tomorrow morning."

"Umbridge before you go," Interrupted Harry as the guards took her arms, "we all wanted to say you are by far the worst Defense teacher we've ever had." Her solemn expression turned into rage again very quickly but one of the guards cast a spell that shut her up quickly and they started dragging her away, kicking and trying to scream. "That includes Voldemort!" He yelled as they rounded the corner out of sight.

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Magical reporting would focus on this scandal until the end of the year, the entirety of Magical Britain outraged by the behavior of a ministry official acting with sanctioned authority. The story of Dumbeldores Army was also revealed through several student interviews and struck the hearts of even those who did not have children at Hogwarts. Proud parents told their coworkers and friends about their children's experiences as well, and it was not long before the public cried out for Headmaster Dumbledore to recieve an award for what they assumed to be his doing. Things came to a climax when the Headmaster was forced to give a public address where he clarified that he had nothing at all to do with the Army and that it had indeed been orchestrated by the students with Harry Potter in the lead.

Of course some stories have multiple climaxes. So when they learned that Harry Potter, considered the greatest hero of the last war, had united nearly the entire population of the school behind the madwoman's back, the fervor rose to a whole new level. While those closer to the situation would admit he was little more than a regular member of the army and that the faculty did most of the organization towards the end, it became well known he had initially started the secret organization. Somehow the press managed to make his involvement even more grandiose than the fictional childrens novels that were made about his assumed adventures growing up. Harry's stout refusal to talk to anyone about it only egged the press on, though he managed to remain at Hogwarts for the rest of the year with little interruption from the press.

Harry did however find himself under the constant praise of his classmates once again, though this time he felt that he knew them well enough to enjoy it. Any of the resentment that held him back had disapeared as they all spent the months studying together and taking secret lectures from their teachers. Even the Slytherins had started to mingle with the rest of the school with some help from Draco, though most did it for purely political reasons. Nonetheless this saw a needed change in the mindset of the younger members of the house who started to see that perhaps the Dark Arts were not something they need to turn to for power.

Of course a few well-wishers and slaps on the back were not the full extent of the praise he got. Even the increase of pranks and hexes sent in jealousy were preferable to what happened near the end of the year.

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"Stop pretending to be sick and come to lunch you lout!" Yelled Neville as he pounded on Harry's door. The boy-who-lived was trying his best to disappear into his blankets, thoroughly tired of all the attention he had receive as of late. While he was glad to have helped, and things had mostly died down, he had begun to notice the girls looking at him. At first it had been a somewhat pleasant feeling to catch them looking out of the corner of his eye, but it soon turned into a chore. It was also making Luna tense and irritable at times. Less and less she looked at him, instead constantly sending glares at the other girls. Of course he had been struggling with how to proceed with their own relationship with them being such close friends. They had all but agreed to be dating at this point but it was a point of no return that he did not want to rush towards. This was partially why he was hiding in his room on a Monday, but once again he told himself he'd just have to ask Sirius about it next week before finally hopping out of bed.

"Stop pounding at a sick mans door you vagrant! Ill be down in a few minutes after I shower and change!"

"Hurry up then, the ladies are all about to fall out of their seats in anticipation of your arrival!"

"Piss off!" He yelled even as his friends laughter disappeared down the hall. After a quick shower and fresh set of robes were adorned he made his way down several hallways and the grand staircase. Shaking some of the stiffness out of his legs as he walked he began to ponder his current predicament.

For some reason it seemed he was unable to dodge most misfortune in his general vicinity despite how well things kept turning out. Because of this it was impossible for him to ignore the decline in his mental health, especially to Luna. For a while he had no trouble interacting with his friends during the day and ignoring the dreams. This had only lasted until nearly all day the things he saw while sleeping haunted him. At this point he was well aware it was not what he saw that affected him but some sort of residual affect of the curse on his body. Even then he was not sure what was going on as he noticed sudden rises in his physical strength and endurance, the opposite kind of affect he expected. His height had not changed terribly, but friends were begining to comment on his sudden change in stature. Many of the first years who he hadn't talked to yet would gave him a wide berth in the corridors. There was also the Quidditch captains hounding him, besides the recently appointed Draco, to join their teams the following year. However he told them all he had a strong feeling he would be too busy after everything that had happened. Already his time was taken up just trying to get around the school without seeing someone he needed to talk to. Getting so much done and helping people with their problems made it all worth it as far as he was concerned.

To his friends this was becoming unacceptable, as they thought he deserved a bit of the easy life after a notoriously busy career at Hogwarts. So as Harry finally peeked his head around the corner into the Great Hall all his closest friends switched topics away from their plans. Although none would admit it the smile on his face was reassuring that their friend was still there.

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Back and forth a large brown ball flew across the roof atop the astronomy tower. Although normally seeing a bludger flying around a party would be quiet disastrous, this one had been tamed, somehow, by the Weasely Twins. It had become somewhat of a pet to the troublemakers, following them to class and doing tricks on command. It even had its own personality at times like hiding when professor Snape came into view. It also seemed to particularly enjoy being batted around by their friends, which is what lead to the impromptu party game of "pat the bludger".

Somewhere amidst the crowd was an assortment of the people Harry called closest friends. Neville danced with Parvarti in the back like they always did. Ronald Weasely, though only recently being on friendly terms with Potter again, was participating in a joke contest with his brothers. He had proved quite helpful and resentful o his previous actions by demonstrating charms and transfiguration spells for first years during the struggle against Umbridge.

Drinking from a flask and doing his best to sound interested was Draco, his normally slicked back hair somewhat messy but still shining in the moonlight. Hairy had ruffled it earlier, erupting in a cheer from those around them.

"Well Potter," started the Slytherin before quickly patting his hair down, "Are you prepared to duel?"

"Of course, what are your terms." Both of drew their wands, the crowd yelling in approval and anger as people moved back to clear a space.

"Since we are at school still, shall we only go until one of us is forced to forfeit?" The crowd Ooh'd as this still meant things could still get nasty. Only a few really noticed the grins on the two contenders faces.

"Very well then Draco, on your go?" Finalized Harry. This silenced the crowd so they could hear what the first spells cast would be. All around older students began placing shield spells at the edge of the impromptu arena. This created quite an interesting blue ring in the dark night, both fighters illuminated by glowing light.

"Right." Said Draco as he raised his wand, Harry replying with the same spell a moment after a nasty itching spell was cast at him. Due to the close proximity they were both unable to keep from getting hit by each others spells. Draco cast another itching jinx followed by a tickling charm. Harry brushed aside the itching jinx but didn't see the next as he walked into it. He immediately burst out laughing and started twitching from the effects of the spell, breaking the light murmur of the crowd. Barely managing to contain his laughter he cast several more of the same at Draco who was struck by two of them. Back and forth the two cast the charm until both were unable to keep fighting, the crowd cheering as friends began casting counter-charms on them.

Afterwards the two had shaken hands and let the party go back to what its unorganized chaos. It was quite a sight that would be told around the school, embellished by second parties of course.

Now Harry was simply hiding behind a large statue at the edge o the roof. The fight with Draco had been a great way to end their last night at Hogwarts until the end of summer but he was also somewhat tired from lack of sleep the past several weeks. Luckily he had lasted until reasonably late enough that he knew disappearing would not be too unexpected of him. Donning his invisibility cloak from a pocket in his robes he slipped around the edge of the party to the stairs and down to his room.

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No sooner did he find himself at home with his Godfather. The grizzled ex-convict had showed up at Hogwarts to Apparate to Grimmauld Place stating they were far too busy to go through the rigamarole of the Express. There was an inevitable few days of the two taking care of Harry's bank accounts that needed taking care of as soon as possible now that Sirius was finally through with all his legal issues. This meant Harry could invest a portion of his inheritance, which the Goblins were very happy to do. They liked the look on the boys face when he saw the numbers he was playing with and the time he took considering how to use them. Going over documents and sending out letters for several hours, not to mention ordering food, the group of bankers and wizards agreed on an investment strategy that would be very beneficial to both their groups and to the Alley as a whole.

When they finished a dinner was ordered and served. Harry took some of the wizard food but several of the goblin dishes caught his attention. To everyones surprise, especially Sirius, Harry partook in several grilled rats and a set of ribs from what he was told to be Threstral. This made most of the Goblins laugh as the boy seemed to enjoy the uncommon food, especially when the older human grimaced and set down a rat after only one bite.

Several more days managing business letters and making preparations came before what Sirius said would be a long vacation. Soon the two were flying over the channel on brooms, speeding through the chilly air protected by warming charms. In France they landed at a wizarding checkpoint, passing over passports and going through detection charms when asked. Alarms inevitably went off causing them to be taken to a back room where Sirius handed over a card to the angry wizard police officers and asking to speak with their commanding officer. Three minutes later a better dressed officer with a neat mustache came in and ordered the rest to leave. After looking at their ID's and confirming they were there on vacation he opened the door and wished them a good day. Afterwards they boarded a train and headed north, stopping at interesting cities along the way. When nightfall came they stayed at a hotel in Denmark where Harry decided to go swimming. The roof of the large hotel had a well-lit blue pool. It reminded him of the last night at school as he jumped into the large circle of blue light. After swimming around for a bit he dried of and laid down in one of the chairs. He pondered if wizarding hotels had pools like this anywhere or if they were all stuck in the dark ages. Laughing he walked back down to his room and changed to go walk around the city they were in. Sleep was coming easier since he got away from school. This left him with a refreshing amount of energy, especially when being outside for most of the day. It was not long before he found a muggle convenience store and slipped inside.

After nodding at the cashier he went to the back and grabbed a bottle of brown soda. Not able to read all the labels as he made his way down the snack isle he grabbed what looked like a bar of taffy. With a little convincing he purchased a pack of cigarettes and left with his confections. Wondering what he could find he made his way deeper into the city towards the brighter lit parts where crowds gathered around intriguing music.

Two days later he would re-appear at the hotel, smoking a cigarette as he managed to catch his uncle just exiting the building. Sirius seemed angry at first but eventually was laughing as he brought his godson up to his room to sleep while he described the weekend. It would seem his nephew was just as easily convinced into partying with strangers and had gotten "A bit lost". After another day and a large breakfast they were both ready to continue north on a boat, finally landing in Norway.

Further north they traveled until eventually they took to riding their brooms across the cold northern wilderness. Harry wondered where they were going but his uncle would only tell him it was a much needed break. It almost came as no surprise as they reached the crest of one final hill and broke through the illusion hiding a small castle in the woods. Landing just outside they were greeted by a lowered bridge and open gate. Harry followed his godfather inside to find it lead to a small open courtyard with three sets of grand stairs leading up to several other closed doors. Several people stood talking at the bottom of the steps in front of them, all dressed in strange attire that seemed to be meant more for battle than leisure, with padding and some even wearing weapons. It was almost as if they were both the guards and the Lords of the castle.

As they approached all turned towards their direction and waited, one man even taking a seat at the bottom of the stairs. A large man with a similarly large sword on his hip strode forward and greeted the two, coming up to shake their hands.

"Sirius!" He greeted, the sound of bones cracking indicating he was gripping his godfathers hand rather tightly. Sirius kept a straight face but only managed to nod his head in response. "And you would be the infamous Harry Potter!" Exclaimed the older wizard as he turned to shake Harry's hand. He took it and was relieved to find the man did not crush his hand in the same way. Harry could not quite tell where the man was from as he had no strong accent towards anything he knew other than somewhere in Western Europe.

"It is nice to meet you,-" Harry trailed to ask them man his name.

"Simon, battle mage and leader of this merry band of bandits!" He received in reply. Some of the others looked a bit angry at the man as he said this, though some smiled and waved their hands. "Now then, im sure you are wondering what we have brought you here for. We like to keep a certain amount of mystery about ourselves at the moment."

"I guess its alright, he did say we were going on vacation. So far things have been-" Sirius nudged him in the arm and chuckled. "Interesting, I think. As long as im not in trouble or anything..." He trailed.

"No not at all. At least not with us. I doubt I need ask that you are well aware of there being both a light and dark side to the world of magic, correct?"

"Thats correct." Harry stated, following where he thought the wizard was going.

"Well, we're more or less part of the good side. At least we were, but things went terribly downhill a while ago. Do you follow?" Harry was not quite expecting all that the man said but did follow him for the most part. However he wanted to know more before the conversation went further.

"Yes but what do you mean things went downhill?"

"We used to be much bigger you see. It turned out some didnt want to fight for the side of the light anymore and framed our organization for series of muggle murders. This all happened at the beginning of the war with Grindelwald, at least for Europe, and lead to many of our deaths. Those of us that turned traitor went on to join the axis and the rest of us were hunted by the allied powers. Even now it is proving difficult to convince any of our old friends there are some of us left fighting for the light."

"Im sure I will learn more but for the most part your story is believable. So have you brought me here to help you in some way? Im aware my fame might be beneficial to your image but I wont sell out so easily." In the back a couple of the wizards and witches laughed a bit.

"You have me only in half, young Harry! Of course you are correct in assuming we would like to welcome you into our organization but we are far more interested in what we can do for you than what you can for us."

"Do you mean more training outside of Hogwarts?"

"They specialize in things you wont learn at Hogwarts." Sirius chimed in. "A bit like Auror training but far more focused on combat than crime solving."

"We were, more or less, mercenaries for quite some time. Even back when the Romans were seeping into Europe."

"Why do you want to teach me battle magic though? Ive been thinking I would become an Auror after school was over but thats years away. Why the rush now?" He was greeted only by two blank faces as the older men thought of what to respond. Behind them one of the witches strode forward, a pretty woman with black hair, and spoke up for them.

"Because, Harry Potter, you must be the one who kills that snake Voldemort." Sirius noticeably gulped next to Harry, embarassing him somewhat. Despite this she still had all of his attention. "There is a prophecy which states that the two of you are tied by fate so that only one may live. You are young to start training at this level, however there is little time to wait with his recent return to power. Our techniques are unfamiliar to him and his servants, and with them we hope you will be able to eventually defeat him in battle. Until then you must train and be ready for any opportunity to strike at him."

"Are you sure theres a prophecy? Why havent I been told of this before?" He swung his head around to throw some accusation towards Sirius.

"We thought it would be best not to tell you, me and Dumbledore and the rest. You deserved as much time as possible without it weighing on your mind, but that time has passed. If you wish to your training here can begin immediately, but if you are unsure it can begin later. Just know that the sooner you start the sooner we can put that bastard in the ground." Harry took a few moments to decide if this was what he wanted. Sirius' endorsement meant a lot to him and so he knew he could trust these mysterious warriors. Neither was he conflicted on wether he needed all the training he could get to beat Tom. Mostly he was concerned that he would get so wrapped up in killing him that he wouldn't have anything else left. However, prophecy or not, he knew everything would come down between him and Voldemort unless he was lucky.

"Alright, I gladly accept your offer to train under your group Simon. However, would it not be fitting to know your name?" Both Simon and the raven haired women smiled and glanced at Sirius before the witch spoke.

"We were once known as the Royal Maraudeurs and fought for the magical royalty of France. Considering our lack of monarchal support we have shortened it to simply the Maraudeurs. Quite a funny coincidence that your godfather here already was one before we found him." For a moment at the end he caught a hint of her French accent.

"Well we arent ones to hold any kind of ceremony, so welcome aboard and all that wonderful toss." He blurted out while grabbing Harry by the shoulders and leading him towards the rest of the Maraudeurs. "Time to meet the rest of us!"

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Harry stood in the hotel rooms brightly lit bathroom, images of lava and demons still floating in his mind. His nightmares were again starting to spill into his morning routine.

Doing his best to distract himself fromthe dreams he tried to think back over his summer. The first night at the castle had been simply filled with introductions and a tour. During the second day he quickly learned what they meant by specialized training when they showed him a selection of weapons like the ones they all wore. Before he even picked up the first sword he could already feel something was not quite right. He managed to hide his reaction to the flood of memories that came pouring in when he lifted one of the rack. They were little things, small clips and images of swords like the one he held moving through the air or being stuck into things. This happened with several of the weapons as he went through once giving each a couple of strong swings.

After that his visions came only stronger at night. Though he did his best to hide it he found his arms and legs were easily able to make most of the movement they showed him. Much of their training had been focused on learning to use the weapons at a basic level, . They put together a simple training plan for him to follow during the year that was similar to a lot of things he already did. They even began presenting him with various books and topics to study before the next summer.

Two months had gone by very quickly and he was somewhat sad to leave Castle Fjern even though it was to go find the Lovegoods. While his new family were mysterious and quite, saying little about themselves or their pasts, he knew it was because they had lost much. Most of them were well into their fifties and sixties and had lost their families and friends when they were hunted down and he did not expect them to open up so easily.

When he and Sirius had been saying their goodbyes the oldest member named Pruvod had approached him. He had said little to Harry and once again said nothing as he handed him a simple looking short steel sword like the ones they most often practiced with. Some of the others, Simon especially, gave him all sorts of do'd and do-nots that came with being given it. Surprisingly they recommended he bring it with him everywhere possible even if he had to hide it. Mostly though they thought it was suitable for him to have a real weapon to practice with.

Now they had returned to the Hotel they had stayed at previously. Things were much busier as the travel season was in full swing. Harry was just wondering what he should go do when Luna and her father burst into his room and danced around. Each wore comical looking purple horns on their foreheads that looked slightly crumpled. It was not long before he was wearing one as well and they were joined by the missing members of their two families. Quickly they departed to hunt for strange magical creatures to write about in The Quibbler. Harry again slept peacefully until the last day before school, though this time it was more in anticipation than dread.

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A/N

So just trying to speed things along now. Thanks for reading!


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

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Harry enjoyed yet another first semester back at Hogwarts, which was beginning to be surprisingly normal. However this time the dangers he faced were a bit more obvious. Not only that but his Professors and Dumbledore seemed far more inclined to help him without holding anything back. They even wasted no time now that he was back at school.

It was almost routine to have a meeting with the Headmaster right after the Welcoming Ceremoy and feast. They discussed some of Harry's self studying and vacation around Europe, though the Headmaster did not try to pry too much as to who it was with. Then they moved quickly into discussion about the Prophecy and, to Harry's greater surprise, a series of items that Voldemort had attached pieces of his soul in order to allow him to be resurrected. This made the fight seemingly impossible now, at least until Dumbledore began describing how his hunt for these Horcruxes was going.

So far he had found and destroyed a possessed ring, which was great news to start with. Then the Headmaster explained how he had found the location of another item in a cave but was unable to properly reach it without Harry's help. Then there was a lost tiara belonging to the lineage Ravenclaw, a cup belonging to the Hufflepuffs, and finally Voldemorts pet snake. There was no more evidence yet to point towards any more soul vessels having been made and so they decided it would be best to work on the ones they could for now.

By the end of the week Harry and the old man were at the entrance of the cave he had previously described. After a few drops of Harrys blood on the rocks inside and a short boat ride they found themselves almost at one trinket. When Dumbledore tried to drink what was clearly a poison of some sort in order to reach it they spent nearly an hour of deliberation before Harry demanded they try just blasting the basin of liquid to bits before doing anything rash. Deciding to humor his student and curious as to if such a simple idea could be a solution, the two erected several wards to keep themselves safe from potential debris and magical backlash. Each cast several tremendously powerful spells that shook the cavern and sent waves out into the dark waters which grew still unnaturally fast. Dumbledore himself thought he really let his power go for a bit, but he noticed that Harrys somewhat unique beams of light were nearly as formidable as his own. Filing it away to think about later they both stopped and approached the small bath. Inside was a severely battered and warped locket which left the two with hopes they had already destroyed the cursed item. However after closer examination they discovered it was a fake, someone having found it before them. Unsurprisingly they were assaulted by masses of reanimated corpses and were forced to flee the cavern. The corpses were quite slow and with a little magic their boat sailed back towards the entrance and they made their escape.

Still they continued the search for other pieces of Voldemort's soul nearly every day, wether in study or during excursions from the school. However by the time Halloween came they had little more than an idea that the Hufflepuff goblet might be stored in Gringots. They did their best to coerce the Goblins into revealing wether it was located in their vaults but were declined any information at all.

Harry found the rest of his time at school to be relaxing though. Everyone was much happier to be at school than before and it seemed groups of friends were larger and the castle was always filled with activity, even past curfew. Somewhat to his relief this also seemed to see himself forgotten outside of class or meals. This meant quite a bit more alone time with Luna, which he was increasingly glad for even after countless snogging sessions.

With the season of pranking and tricksters in full swing those left of the Hogwarts Marauders, known somewhat publicly as the Loonies, kept up their traditions of spreading mayhem. It had become somewhat of their own secret club away from secret club even. They were whom Harry spent nearly all of his free time with and he shared a considerable amount of his secrets with them. After having already let slip his status as a "true Marauder" one night he had been coaxed into teaching several of them swordplay. This had prompted someone to mention a Slytherin who fenced, and ultimately led to none other than Daphne Greengrass, infamous "Ice Queen" of Slytherin, challenging Harry to a friendly duel.

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"Are you ready, Potter?" Asked the familiar voice of the dark haired Slytherin after she had slammed open then door to what was normally the dueling clubs chamber. Everyone turned to greet her but surprisingly it was Luna whom ran forward and squeezed the stone faced girl in a hug.

"Its wonderful to see you Daphne!" Screamed Harrys girlfriend quite loudly. Daphne returned the hug and started to reply but was cut off as the blondes grip grew tighter and the Slytherins eyes bulged from their sockets. "Sorry." Luna gave as she eased up the hug, the rest of the room breaking into laughter at the "Ice Queens" flustered appearance.

"I love your hugs Luna but how you are so strong I will never know!" Laughed the breathless beauty. Luna only smiled and gave a shrug.

"So it would seem this was Luna's idea then?" Asked Harry at the two girls. He had been wondering who found someone to come beat him up with a sword.

"She merely mentioned you were taking up swordplay and I couldn't help but test the great Harry Potters skill. Besides, the only partners I can get to practice with are the suits of armor and they don't like to loose."

"Thats why Harrys being a grumpy pants about you being here. Just don't poke too many holes in him." Luna gave Harry her best smile and a hug before joining the group of spectators on the benches at the edge of the ring.

Harry and Daphne faced off for a moment, each bowing, drawing swords and applying spells that would keep the blades from making contact with their skin. A few more seconds were spent in silence as they circled and evaluated. Harry noted she used a somewhat strange rapier that was far thicker than what he had seen before. All he knew was he had to do his best to get in close or land a blow square enough on her blade to disarm her. He knew his swings were still quite slow but his feet could move fast and he hoped his reflexes would at least give him a chance. As he had been taught he struck without tell, springing forward halfway across the ring in an instant.

Daphne was only mildly surprised by this and was able to easily slap away his first swing. She was quite quick with her sword but Harry's reflexes indeed won out and he was able to dodge her thrusts. His swings proved so slow though that she only needed to block and parry a few more times before she slipped her sword up, over and around his blade in a fashion that twisted his wrist and forced him to let go of his blade. The crowd at the side cheered, especially Neville, as Harry picked up his sword and bowed to his opponent. She returned it and was brought into another celebratory hug from Luna before the excited girl moved to give Harry an extended hug she thought he might need.

"That was an excellent duel Daphne, I am surprised to have lasted so long."

"Normally," her face split into a rare grin, "they don't." Everyone laughed and ooh'd at the saucy comeback, though Luna only stuck her tongue out and held Harry a bit tighter. "In all serious though you did quite well Harry. Im impressed you were able to dodge my rapier as I'm told I move it quite quick. However your own swings and thrusts were somewhat lacking in strength and allowed me to disarm you."

"I thought that had been getting better but you've made me realize I need to work a bit more on my swing grip."

"Will you help teach us as well?" Asked Seamus, a Gryffindor from Harry's year that had filled part of the whole left by the twins absence. Daphne seemed to think about his question for a moment before giving an answer.

"Only if we get a bigger audience to see me mop the floor with Potter." She grinned as the group laughed again.

Daphne quickly became one of Harrys closest friends after he learned more of her friendship with Luna. It seemed the Slytherin had protected her several times in the past from other snakes and this had lead to them talking infrequently. After joining their sparring sessions she was soon a member of the Marauders. Her skills with the sword were only a hobby as they soon discovered why she was one of the top students in sixth year. It was not long before he sent a letter to Simon to ask what they looked for in new members.

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However much he was able to do things a bit more as he wanted to it was still quite rare for him to find himself completely alone for a few hours. After the Halloween feast he was quite pleased at first to find himself forgotten by everyone while the school celebrated the holiday. It was not long though before he thought of Luna and quickly pulled out a galleon from his pocket. It was very much like the ones the entire school used the last year to communicate but with a few special modifications. He was only mildly surprised to notice himself being led outside by the directions it gave, where he found his girlfriend dancing out in the grass with her shoes off in the brisk air. All manner of glowing bugs and tiny creatures glowed in the darkness and made her visible from quite far away. It was not until he was closer that he saw she was not dancing alone. Somewhat hidden in the darkness was Daphne looking like she had just gotten over a long session of crying despite how she smiled.

Harry let them dance for a bit until the two fell to the ground and laughed into the night sky. Chuckling to break concealment the two girls sat up startled. Harry quickly lay down beside them, giving a fake puzzled look back to their own shocked ones.

"You scared the willies out of me Harry!" Yelled Daphne before lying back down.

"I was wondering when you'd get here." Luna said before scooting over to rest her head on Harry's shoulder and closing her eyes. "I felt the coin buzzing." Was all she said to clarify and the three teens sat in the grass for a bit and watched the glowing bugs fly above them. One landed in Luna's hair and as Harry's eyes followed its descent he caught Daphne staring at them. She looked away but quickly looked back and rolled her eyes at him.

"If you don't mind me asking," he switched his gaze to Luna who opened her eyes, "is everything alright with you two? I couldn't help but notice Daphne looked like she was crying a bit ago..." He felt somewhat awkward asking but his curiosity was at its peak. Luna let go of him to shuffle over and give Daphne a hug as the girls quietly debated telling him whatever it was.

"My parents have arranged a marriage for me." Was all she said and they were quiet for a moment as the grass swished around them in the breeze.

"Why are they asking you to do that?" Harry had heard of arranged marriages still happening but they were usually done with the children's consent and often were just a formality.

"They think marrying me to a junior death eater will protect us from Voldemort. Somehow they are convinced that he only lost by accident last time and wont be stopped again."

"Are they giving you any option? Have you met the man, maybe he's not-"

"I met him earlier today and he's definitely a Death Eater, someone who graduated a few years ago. He even showed off his disgusting mark and tried to kiss me. As for my parents, they pretty much can and will make me go through with it."

"I know there must be ways to get around it." Luna interjected. "Maybe Sirius or one of the Professors could help us find a way to have the marriage thrown out."

"Considering how many of his relatives were in arranged marriages I'm sure he will know something. When is this marriage supposed to happen?"

"As soon as I return home for the summer. If your Godfather could be of help id gladly take it but I don't know if wizarding laws will allow it."

"Daphne," Harry sat up to adress his two friends, "I promise you will not be forced to marry anyone you do not want to so long as I live, so mote it be." They then noticed his wand held out and the blue whisps of magic that trailed from it to connect the two for a moment before the spell disappeared back into Harry.

"You shouldn't have done that!"

"Harry!"

Both girls yelled at him at the same time, though each smiled at his generous gift. With the full support of Wizarding Britain's hero they knew things would likely go their way.

"What if theres nothing we can do about it you moron!" Daphne exclaimed.

"If it comes to it ill have Sirius arrange us a marriage. Your parents probably wouldnt say no!" He laughed quite loudly, amused by the idea. However he quickly noticed he was the only one as the other two gave him strange looks.

"We did actually talk about that already." Luna admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"It would work," said Daphne, "but I think you're already taken." She gave Luna a tight hug. "If things don't work out though, would you two be willing to go that far to help me?"

"Now we would kind of have to since Harry decided to make that oath." Luna gave him a slightly angry look surprisingly.

"She's right about that. I guess the only problem on my end is if you are willing to accept id never love you." Said Harry simply, hoping to convey an apology to Luna as well. It seemed to work as she quickly gave him a hug, dragging Daphne over as well to bring them all together.

"Since I love you both I would let you marry him. Then he's going to marry me as well and we'll all get what we want." Her tone was surprisingly serious and caught them off guard. Both of her friends looked puzzled for a moment as they thought over what she said.

"I suppose that could work actually." Mused Harry, Daphne getting red as the two casually discussed such an embarrassing topic. "Probably a lot less legal hassle actually."

"Not to mention me and Daphne would have beautiful kids." Exclaimed Luna, catching even Harry off guard as their blonde friend burst into laughter and stood up to skip around the field some more. Harry and Daphne looked at each other for a moment.

"Thanks again for your help Harry. Im certain things wont have to end up like that. If they do though," she trailed to look at Luna and then back at him for a moment, "I could imagine worse people to be married to." He grew quite red now and was at a loss for words. Giggling she stood up as well to join Luna.

Harry spent a moment pondering what it would be like to be married to both of them but quickly realized he better send an owl to Sirius quickly if he wanted Luna to himself. For the time being though he was content to join the two witches as they explored the fields around the castle.

He awoke later with two girls in his bedchamber, however he was curled up in the reading chair as the girls lay sprawled on his bed. With a couple waves of his wand he changed the chair into a more comfortable couch and cast a rather tricky set of charms to make the blankets cover his guests. Just as he was dozing back off to sleep, flames and shadows flickering in his mind as it descended into the dream world, he felt something warm lay down next to him and wrap him in a hug. This time he drifted off to a much more peaceful sleep, not noticing his fingers were wrapped in hair as dark as his own instead of strands golden blonde.

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A/N

Dont worry, I have a good reason for adding Daphne. Let me just say that the inspiration comes heavily from the Boreal Valley Dancer .. Seriously though, I hope the hints so far are enough to give away what is soon to happen. Anyway, thanks a ton for reading.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Daphne still knows what you did last summer.

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Sirius was quick to reply to Harry's owl with good news. For once there was nothing but fortunate words as he wrote that under magical Britain's law anyone who was a practitioner of the Dark Arts could not legally marry. Considering how difficult it was to prove someone was a Dark wizard the law was often overlooked. With the evidence plainly etched into the mans arm Daphne's case would be very cut and dry, if the bastard even showed up for the hearing. This was shocking to the dark haired girl as she had been expecting months to go by before any progress was made. Several more owls were sent out to notify both the Greengrass family and the office that handled marriage contracts at the Ministry.

Harry and Luna were there when the owl dropped off her replies, expecting more good news. Then they saw the look on Daphne's face as she read the one from her parents and knew something was wrong. Waiting until the end of breakfast they dragged her into an empty classroom to explain what it had said.

"They want to kick me out of the family!" She exclaimed as soon as the door closed behind them.

"Can they even do that to an underage witch?" Harry asked incredulously, under the assumption that children were not so easily abandoned. Even he had found a home with his family growing up despite them being

rotten bastards.

"They would have to finish paying for her education and find a home for her but the head of any family can remove whoever they want." Said Luna as she hugged a crying Daphne. "Do you even want to stay with them anymore after what they are trying to do to you?"

"Most of them only see me as a girl to be sold off for profit." She said sniffling. "The only one I care for anymore are my sister and younger cousins, but they are starting to believe what they are being told about Voldemort. Astora has even been dating a little snake who wants to take the mark."

"Does this mean you need someone to foster you for this summer?" Asked Harry, gears visibly turning in his head.

"My family is somewhat large so I have never really made connections with adults outside the family. Do you think the Headmaster would allow me to board here for the summer?"

"Im sure he would allow it if you could not find a proper foster home. However I think Harry has another idea."

"Yes I do indeed. Do you both remember what I did last summer?"

"You studied up north at a hidden castle or something didnt you?" Daphne dried the last of her tears.

"Well I shouldnt explain much more than that before asking, but would you be opposed to Sirius becoming your guardian until we graduate? He already offered in case something like this happened."

"If he's half as funny as you make him out to be I would be glad to. But what does this have to do with what you did last summer?"

"Thats a secret I cant share quite yet," Luna stuck her tongue out at him as he had yet to tell even her the details, "however considering both your magical talent and experience with a sword im certain it would not be very difficult to get you accepted to train with me."

"I dont want to sound selfish," Harry tensed up as he realized his error, expecting a bit of a lashing from his girlfriend as she spoke up, "but I dont think I want you taking my best friend away for the whole summer." Harry let out his breath as the girls started giggling at his embarrassment. "Only a joke Harry, Im busy hunting for Sideways Facing Sand Snakes in India for the first few months of summer. Your idea seems like an excellent one actually, so long as you're still here when I get back."

"Do you want me to make another oath?" He asked her, to which she stuck her tongue out at him again and threw a quickly conjured pillow his direction.

"As long as you're both sure I cant think of anything else id really rather do." Daphne pulled two into a hug. "Let Sirius know I would be ecstatic to be taken under one of the original Marauders wings. And Luna," The blonde looked up from where she had been cuddling into Harrys arm, "Ill be sure to get Harry back to you just the same."

Their discussion quickly listed into topics of little importance before Harry checked the time and realized they had all missed first period. In a flurry the group of friends bade each other farewell and sped off to class. At least the two girls did, but Harry decided there were probably better things to do than sleep in History class and went to the kitchens to play a game of chess with Dobby and get a midmorning snack.

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"What in Merlins name do you think you are doing Mr Potter?" Professor Snape stood over Harrys melted cauldron, wand still out from recently vanishing the corrosive mixture that he had made. "This is the third time this month! Since your work has been acceptable until now I will allow you to pass if this is the last mistake. This is your only chance, am I clear?"

"Of course, Professor. This wont happen again." Harry tried his best to ignore the wrinkled arm of a horrifying bug-like creature that passed through the potion master's chest. All around him were similar demonic looking creatures writhing through the classroom.

"Good, now clean up the rest of this mess and prepare fifty inches of observations on the affects of each ingredient for every one of the potions you have failed to make. I expect them by the end of the week along with your regular work." At this point there was only a tiny bit of the creatures tail sticking out of Snape's forehead almost making Harry laugh at he worst possible time. Only managing to nod he was worried this might not be enough of a response for the uptight Potions Professor but luckily the man whirled away to sniff another students cauldron.

Harry's time at school had continued on a happy path for several more weeks after Sirius officially acquired guardianship over Daphne. There had been a bit of a stir at school when the Daily Prophet caught wind of the story and wrote about it, but things died down quickly after Voldemort had attacked the week before christmas.

An entire neighborhood of magical's and muggle's had been slaughtered by Death Eaters, their bodies mutilated and left for the public to see. Needless to say the mood around school died down a little as the reality of what was happening in Britain hit a lot of the students. There had expectedly been small attacks and disappearances, but this was the first public attack since the madman's return and forced a lot of Harry's peers to face their fears about how evil the Dark Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters really are.

Worse still for Harry was the sudden spike in dreams during the following days. By the time he returned from winter break, having barely done anything with Sirius and spending most of his time trying to sleep, he was starting to see things when he was awake as well. He had assumed it was simply stress and lack of sleep the first few times he caught glimpses of rotting soldiers and scorched knights. When they were no longer glimpses but fully visible in front of him he became worried, and worse still they started to follow him wherever he went. Having only been back at Hogwarts a month he already could barely function anymore. He didn't dare ignore them for even a moment, fully aware of what the headless demon could do with the pole-like weapon it carried. So far it seemed they were only apparitions in his mind but he knew so little about any of it that he was always watching for an arrow or sword to come flying at his head. At one point a giant knight in black iron armor had swung its mace right where he had been sitting and in his panic he jumped out of his seat, knocking two tables over and several students out of their chairs. Then there was the abomination that had taken residence over the lake; a horrifying creature that resided in a massive sewer in his dreams. Its bottom half slightly resembled a dragon, but atop its back and in place of its head was a mass of teeth and slimy appendages that terrified him to the point he no longer even looked outside a window at that side of the castle.

"Harry!" Came a yell behind him as he walked through the corridors, mind tied up in thoughts of what he could to stop the visions. Whoever it was received no answer for when Harry turned to see who it was he came face to face with a pair of glowing red eyes. Around them was the large head of what looked like a boar covered in metal. For a moment they stared at each other before it snorted heavily, blowing hot putrid smelling air into Harry's face. Somewhere behind or inside it came the voice again, "What the hell is wrong with you Harry? You've been acting right looney, and not in-" was all he heard before the boar scraped its foot against the ground.

Harry wasted no time turning and sprinting away from the metallic boar with every ounce of strength he had. For a moment it gave him a head start before he heard it screech and felt its footsteps thunder close behind him. Waiting until his fear took complete control his body flung him to the side at the last moment and the boar ran by and slammed into a wall. Taking the opportunity he cast every spell he thought might hurt it, ending with a barrage of blasting hexes and a lance of blue energy. The creature gave one final roar, everything but its head obscured by a cloud of dust, before it appeared to dissolve. Unnaturally fast the dust settled to reveal the wall behind it crumbled and black before the castle started to heal itself and the pieces of stone flew back into place. Turning at the sound of footsteps behind him he saw it was Neville approaching him with Parvarti, Luna, Daphne, and several other students who heard the commotion. Seeing the look of shock on their faces, other than the first year in the back who started clapping, he didn't even think otherwise than to take off running away down the hall.

Several more sets of feet stamped the stones behind him but after rounding two corners and taking a small flight of stairs he slipped into a series of hidden passages behind the walls that would be easy to get lost in. When he finally had lost them he climbed into a storage space above an old classroom and sat in the darkness for several hours until his thoughts changed to things besides crippling fear. Assuming he would have to do so one way or another, it was an easy decision to go see the Headmaster. Their hunts for the Horcruxes had been on hold outside of research but he was not foolish enough to think the wizened old man hadn't heard of what he did. Doing his best as he slipped into the hallways and made his way to the gargoyle guarding the Headmasters office he did his best to think up an excuse.

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"Voldemorts doing something to my mind, sending me some visions of weird monsters or death eaters." Dumbledore looked at him closely for a moment before massaging his temples and closing his eyes. It was quiet for a moment as the implications of what this meant, if only half true, set in.

"This is indeed very bad news Harry. Somehow he has strengthened the connection he has been using to give you nightmares. Luckily it is impossible for these to harm you physically, but it has been taking a noticeable affect on your performance in class alone. Even your friends came to me earlier extremely worried about you. Why haven't you told me this sooner, or any of the others you trust?" It was hard to lie to the old man who had become one of his mentors but still he felt it best the less people know of the curse he was under the better.

"I was hoping they would pass, that I could hold out and make him give up. This one just felt so real and caught me off guard and I panicked. Is there anything we can do to block them?" Harry knew that there would be nothing either of them could do about it for the time being but asking would make his story more believable.

"I considered trying to teach you Occlumancy at the start of the year but at that point your natural mental wards seemed to have been blocking the nightmares. Now with him being able to manipulate what you see with such detail and at such distance it would take decades for you to be able to block him out. Sadly we do not have anywhere near that amount of time."

"So I will just have to carry on like this then? I wont complain that it is unfair but how do you expect me to attend class like this?" Harry was frustrated with everything at this point and was fishing for a way out of some of it. School was important to him but keeping his sanity was a higher priority at this point.

"In light of how serious your situation is it would be pointless to force you to attend classes. All I can ask is that you do your best to keep up with your studies. As for Professor Snape I will do my best to convince him to allow for your potions to be brewed outside of class. He seemed quite concerned by your sudden dip in performance." Harry's jaw quite literally dropped at this information as it was the last thing.

"Excuse me sir, but that cant possibly be true!" Dumbledores eyes twinkled quite mischievously at his reaction.

"Perhaps Harry, but it has been many years since he last came to me personally to discuss a students performance in class."

"He was probably just trying to see if he could get me kicked out of his class. I will admit he hasn't taken points from me as often."

"I believe there is a muggle saying "even lions can change their spots". What a lion is I am not quite sure as I had previously thought they did not have spots, but the meaning remains. Im sure he has started to acknowledge your hard work in some ways." Harry stifled a laugh at the misquoted saying, very certain that it wasn't a lion he meant to refer to nor that the animal even changed its spots.

"Hopefully he doesn't change too much. Im not sure I want him to be my friend at this time."

"Only time will tell my boy. However I must dearly apologize that I am needed elsewhere at the moment. Is there anything else you must talk with me about at this time?" Harry's eyes were drawn to the colorful block on the Headmaster's desk that looked vaguely familiar.

"Im just wondering if you know what that is?" He said as he pointed towards it.

"Ah yes, this strange device is some sort of puzzle box the muggle's came up with. Supposedly there is a way to align each type of small colored square to different sides so that each face shows only one color. However I am finding it quite difficult to open."

"Ive seen them before but cant give you any advice either. Anyways, thank you for everything Professor. I wish only I hadn't been afraid to do so before."

"Never mind that Harry, everyone gets that way at some point or another. Remember what I said about studying and if possible attend whatever classes you can. I trust you to continue being the responsible young man you have always proven to be."

"Thank you Professor."

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Harry spent the next several weeks in a self imposed solitude, at least as much as he was allowed while at school. His visions would get better some days, and some days they would surround him. He was with Luna during one of the better days shortly before spring began when he had his next incident with a corporeal apparition. They were walking along the great lake as they often did with Harry trying his best to ignore the invisible monstrosity that now swam about the lake.

"Do you think there could be any Albatross above that storm?" Luna mused as she stared up at a large storm that approached from the sea.

"Want to go find out?" He asked, her face lighting up with joy as she squeezed him into a hug.

"Of course I would!" Exclaimed his exuberant girlfriend as she took off towards the castle. He followed, meeting her half the distance from his room, his broom slung on her shoulder as she took his hand and dragged him to the nearest open window.

"Lets go!" She yelled as they both mounted the broom and took off into the air. Both of them whooped and hollered in delight as the beautiful castle below shrunk. It was not long before they cast several simple spells that would allow them to keep breathing at the altitude above the clouds, also including ones to keep them warm.

They had taken similar excursions before but both were still taken back by the breathtaking view above the clouds. It was as if they were in a whole new world above the dark clouds. Below they could see the crackle of lightning and even feel the boom of thunder. They spent longer than they meant to soaring through the brisk air, hopeful to see one of the few magical creatures even the muggle's were aware of, at least besides their nearly endless lifespan spent riding the air above storms. It was as they were just landing back in the green fields outside Hogwarts that Harry felt something amiss. Screaming an apology he pushed Luna from the broom into the soft grass before rocketing away as fast as he could.

Once again he was fortunate enough to escape a deadly creature, feeling the air behind him heat up and seeing flames ripple past. Trying to push his broom faster he blew over the Forbidden Forest. To outside observers he was simply breaking yet another rule of Hogwarts. However when he looked back he could see a massive Red Dragon, far larger than the one he fought in the tournament. Its head was angular and body covered in sharp ridges unlike any dragon that existed in his world. Its teeth were somewhat small but it made up for this by having talons almost as big as he was. It was here he again nearly died as its jaws had just opened to swallow him whole but he was able to take a sharp turn that made the dragon fly past where he had just been and take the time to maneuver back in his direction.

Terrified of what might happen if he was killed by this creature from an entirely different reality he drew his wand and mentally prepared to cast the most powerful spells he could at it. First though he tried to distract it by conjuring plumes of thick smoke to trail behind him so that he would be obscured from its view. He realized too late how foolish he was to think it would work as he slowed down and came about to face its direction. Seemingly it could only see him as it flew right through the smoke straight at him. Once again coming closer to its flaming mouth than he would like Harry sped straight up above the beast, looking back down as he started casting spells into the large back of his target. To his surprise all of his spells barely seemed to even hit the creature as it flew upwards to again follow him.

Realizing it would probably only be damaged by the powerful blue spells of its own world he began focusing his magic as he had figured out from watching the undead. Unlike most of the spells in his world they all seemed to rely more on channeling ones energy as opposed to manipulating it through worded intent. Feeling more confident he continued to zig and zag out of the Dragon's way looking for an opportunity to strike. For a moment he seemed to loose it after taking a risk and turning to fly directly back under it. Looping around to once again fly above it he launched a barrage of magical energy into its back, aiming for where its powerful wings connected to the mass of muscles on its back. His spells struck home, blasting chunks out of its hard scales before blowing the flesh below apart. It roared as its head whipped around to find him even as it began to fall from the sky. In a moment of true idiocy that he would cringe at the thought of for months he sat still on his broom to watch the beast fall to what he hoped would be its death. Having unjustly ignored the creatures sharp intelligence he failed to see its tail swing back up and around to impale him on one of the large spikes that protruded from the end.

Surprisingly there was little pain as he plummeted to earth, perhaps simply because his body was already dead. His vision finally faded from a mist of red and browns into a familiar black just as the victorious dragon gave out a triumphant roar. His last thought was spent wondering if that would be the last Luna ever saw of him.

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A/N

And so mark my revision of the first 30 chapters of the story, as well as this new chapter that i forgot was new. Ill do my best to release the next chapter as soon as possible. Thanks for those that have stuck around and more thanks to anyone whos just getting here. Its been over a year now and I feel like its time I get this show on the road.

Stay tuned (to those radiation king radios) for more of the accursed adventures of Harry!


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

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Left and right shambled creatures that could only be described as walking corpses. Normally such things would be met with screams and panic, but to Harry they only meant the possibility of something even more terrifying. He wondered if he would soon see the silhouette of a dragon or hear the thudding footsteps of a yet unknown terror. He shivered as he pulled his cloak closer, waiting for the undead soldiers to suddenly notice him and attack. The trunk of an old tree provided some shelter from the wind that permeated the forbidden forest, but all this did little to warm the air of the late winter air. He dare not cast any warming spells as the presence of magic would surely alert them sooner.

In one hand he clutched his wand, a warming spell providing comfort to his side, and in his other he clutched the metal hilt of his longsword. Through his mind ran the thoughts needed to draw upon his magic to enchant the blade so that it would more effectively cut down the apparitions. While he had grown quite competent using his sword he didnt deny the blue magic that engulfed its blade made the fights shorter. Already he had made himself scarce for several hours and knew that his friends were starting to worry about his repeated disappearances. It wasn't abnormal for Harry to go missing at night by now but normally he made appearances during most of the week. Harry tried his best to sit in for the late night study sessions, and occasional relaxation party, that his friends held. However he knew it had been a few weeks since they had last seen him in the Looney Bin. Worries about such trifle matters soon vanished as dozens of glowing red eyes suddenly turned towards him in the twilight. His hands gripped the familiar feelings of wood and leather as he readied his weapons for battle, quickly casting the spell needed to provide his sword with the added strength of blue flames.

The first to attack was a particularly deadly soldier wielding a large axe that must have weighed nearly as much as the holder. Luckily its clumsy attack was easily dodged and resulted with the heavy blade lodged into the ground. With ease Harry swung his sword and hacked off the vulnerable soldiers head in a single strike. Next came two significantly weaker foes wielding only broken straight swords that he had no trouble running through without taking any damage. This was only the beginning of the fight as a dozen more still swarmed on his location.

Harry remarked, as he always did, that during the melee the current weather seemed to loose its affect on him. Wether it was still a muggy night or there was a blistering cold wind peppered with snow like tonight, there was little affect on his body. All that mattered was the resistance of flesh against his blade and the rush of soul energy entering his body. After every battle, won or lost, he would reflect that it was only some strange warrior trance that numbed everything else but these feelings. However this did little to keep himself from drowning in the focus of bloodlust, if it could even be called that. While he did not seek to eviscerate the undead creatures that fought him the satisfaction of eliminating an enemy could not be denied. Their mindless nature only lessened the conviction he felt as he severed limb and soul from their bodies.

With only a few left remaining, three pikemen hiding behind heavy shields, his mind drifted into concern over what would soon be coming. While the present danger could be considered a worthy concern Harry knew there would be an even greater threat coming. Almost as soon as his mind conjured visions of dark shapes in the tree line above him a loud and unfamiliar song rang out through the forest, something similar to crack of appiration. What little snow hung on the branches of trees around Harry shook off and dropped on the thin hood of his school cloak as he, and his aggressors, further disturbed the low hanging branches of the trees that surrounded them. By the time he felt the thundering footsteps of the beast he looked down to see mud soaked ground normally hardened by the frigid winter air. Moving back into the area less disturbed by his footsteps he held up his sword in front of himself and kept wand to his side, ready to cast whatever was necessary to deal with the approaching foe.

More common enemies like these he could dispatch with his own spells. Things such as human undead, dogs, and the occasional mythical creature he was familiar with were easily sliced and blasted with some of the darker spells in his arsenal. After many errors he discovered the creatures he vaguely recognize required the spells from the other world or the use of his blade. The Red Drake had been his most difficult challenge, only besting the massive beast with the combined power of his spells and a lucky blow to the eye with his sword. Serpentine men had assailed him on several occasions. Other times it would be a variety of abominations that he recognized as the monsters of his dreams. Even demons that normally resided in a crumbling city of lava were prone to show up.

At the end of the last summer he would have said his skills with the longsword were, at best, at a novice level. Now he felt the sword to truly extend from his hand. It struck accurately and with the force of a hardened warrior. It was the main requirement to his survival these last weeks. While his owns spells could be cast with little drain on his energy, the blue hued sorceries of the other land lessened his magical reserves very quickly. From then on his prowess with the blade was all that helped him survive the nights.

His grip tightened on his blade as he stood, alerted by the sudden calm of the wind. Glowing eyes turned to stare at him through the blizzard and his body began to pump magical adrenaline to fuel his impeding exertion. Calculating his best course of slaughter to start the fight his cast aside his cloak and raised his wand to begin the battle.

Tree branches dropped their loads of snow during the initial clamor of his shouts and the ringing of steel meeting. Two soldiers carrying bent swords were soon parted from their heads by his sword, followed by the evisceration of three more similarly armed undead with blasting curses. One carrying a large club and wearing heavier chainmail caught him off guard from behind. Its first swing broke his sword arm as he tried to dodge. Glowing steel disappeared into the snow as he leapt out of the way of another attack aimed at his head. Two slicing curses bounced off its armor before he noticed this enemy moved with far more agility than any of the humanoid enemies he had fought before. To his immense surprise the foe bowed to him before stepping back to let more of the shamblers close in. He had only a moment to watch him lean against a tree before more immediate threats needed to be dealt with. More of the weak enemies fell to his spells in the next couple of minutes.

Deciding that dealing with them one at a time would be a waste of energy he readied his mind to use the most lethal spell recently added to his arsenal. Through much trial and error he had gained a strong command over Fiendfyre. With a shout of its name, given as more a command than a suggestion as was necessary, his wand spewed out magical fire. Its bright tongues consumed dried flesh and brittle steel on his direct command before the fiend gained a state of sentience. Directing his rage at the enemies that closed in the flames took the shape of a skull while incinerating the weak fodder that dared to attack him.

With the fodder burnt to crisps taken care of, piles of ashes mixing with the blizzards snowfall, he was surprised to hear clapping from the other warrior. As he turned the man gave an elegant bow before taking his club back into hand from where it rested against the tree. Taking this as a sign that he wished to duel Harry also gave a bow. However instead of an elegant show of honor his boot slipped in the slushy snow and he fell onto his face. Knowing better than to trust his opponent he immediately rolled to the side and sprung back up with his sword at the ready. However his opponent still stood in the same place leaning on his weapon as he laughed in silence. Harry gave a chuckle himself as his opponent composed himself and strode forward to begin the melee.

Within a few blows Harry stashed his wand in its holster as he realized this opponent would give him no time to cast the spells of the other world. His opponents chainmail, covered in tattered bits of black leather and a deep cowled cloak like his own, was very resistant to his slashes. However the point of his longsword would easily break through the metal links if a blow could be landed. This was not an easy task by any means considering the ferocity of the swinging club.

First the strange warrior closed the distance with a mighty jumping attack that covered several feet and sent his club smashing into the ground. Harry could have scoffed at how slow the attack was as he easily dodged to the side. That was until the man immediately lifted the club into a swinging attack that, while still a few feet from Harry, would have easily crushed his arms and chest. He made a judgement call and sprung forward as the swing ended to jab his sword into the side of his opponent. It plunged through the mail links and caused a short burst of dark blood as he pulled it out. This seemed to faze the club warrior little as his weapon swung around once more just after Harry was able to dodge.

Harry took another chance as he rushed forward again. The club had momentarily landed against the ground before his opponent could lift it up again. Jumping on the weapon with all his strength he was happy to feel it wrench free from its owners grip and bury into the snow. Without hesitation he once again thrust his sword into his opponent, this time ramming his blade all the way to the hilt. Seeming to barely feel the pain of such a destructive injury his opponent shoved him off. Harry lost his grip on the sword as he fell backwards but instinctively grabbed a dagger on his belt even before he hit the ground. Leaping back up he saw the warrior was still staggered by the heavy blow he had landed. Without hesitation he stabbed with his dagger three times before pulling back his sword from the mans ribcage. Two blows landed in his chest and shoulder with the third bouncing off the steel he wore. Stepping back he waited for the man to respond but was relieved to see him drop his club and fall to his knee.

His form faded before disappearing into a bright white mist like the other enemies he faced. Once again Harry was left with only the sound of falling snow ringing in his ears. Giving a sigh of relief he sheathed his weapons and went over to his resting spot to dug through the snow for his cloak. After drying and warming charms were applied to the damp cloth he wrapped it back around his body to begin the trudge back through the forest to Hogwarts.

Despite the intensity of the battle he found he wasn't even slightly fatigued. He had noticed his stamina grow as his battles became more and more frequent but he knew whatever was happening could not be good.

Despite the concerns on his mind Harry was relieved to at least be able to return to the castle for a nights rest and a day of peace. Likely the next night would be far worse but that was something to be dealt with later.

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A/N

Sorry for such a HUGE gap since the last chapter. Much of my writing time this summer was spent on revisions and by the time I finished my summer job really began to take up my time and energy. If you leave me some comments, positive or negative, I'm sure it will give me the encouragement I need.

Also I hope its clear where the story is going. ;)

Thanks for the read!


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Disclaimer: Ive been playing Doom more than Dark Souls recently so hopefully I don't get too carried away with the violence. Or maybe that will be a good thing...

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With the end of his sixth year wrapping up there was almost an almost foreign sense of glee between Harry and his friends. It had been on of the calmer years for the student population despite the many whispers about rampant death eater recruitment.

Harry and Dumbledore had spent many nights discussing everything going on in around themselves and magical Britain. Walls had been hit trying to recover the last two undiscovered Horcruxes, the Diadem of Ravenclaw being a complete mystery and Hufflepuffs cup hidden in the depths of Gringotts. Harry had applied pressure, and a sizable amount of bribes, to his contacts amongst the Goblins and was hopeful that they would eventually help him. These were far from their only problems though as the Ministry ran amuck with corruption, attacks spread across both mundane and magical communities, other countries continued refusal to offer aid, and the mark making its way inside the school itself on students. Harry had noticed this and confronted the Headmaster about why these students remained in the school.

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"Every week I see another Slytherin or Ravenclaw with that curse peeking out from under their sleeve. Do not tell me both you and the wards are unaware that there are Death Eaters in the school?"

"I admit that I have been allowing Death Eaters to stay amongst the student body. However Harry, we both know this situation is not that simple. What do you think they would do if I cast them from the school?" Dumbledore spoke from behind his hands, knowing that it helped hide his unease.

"Well obviously they would go crawling back to their master!" Harry said, his rare temper rising. "They made their choice and if I had my way they wouldn't be able to walk down the hall without at least getting a dung-bomb to the face."

"Physical violence is just what they would want. It would only hurt our side for you to start attacking other students." The Headmaster closed his eyes and gave a sigh. "Truthfully they do not deserve to be here, but I hope to find opportunities to show them the light at the very least. Even if that is not possible it at least keeps more of his ranks away from the war causing more mayhem. I have also managed to recruit one as a spy for my side, although I would not like to share their identity with anyone until necessary as they have requested." Harry kept his face even at this news as he did indeed know the identity of the spy. In fact it was none other than Draco Malfoy, his own spy that he had sent both to find out what he could about any of Dumbledores own secret agendas as well as continue to help the light side.

"I have no care to know who they could be, and I do see your point. Ill do my best to keep an eye out for any trouble they might cause. If I catch any doing anything though I cannot promise their-"

"-Safety, yes I know how you feel. Rest assured I am also keeping an eye on them at all times. However let us move on, I do believe the Quidditch match last week was rigged by the Ravenclaws, don't you agree?"

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Bright light flooded through the doors as Harry opened the large doors leading into the dueling clubs training room. Normally the light wouldnt be so bright but he had entered from the come and go room which had just been his own training room. He had been practicing spell casting in the dark before suddenly feeling in the mood to finally challenge Flitwick to a duel.

"Well if it isnt Harry Potter in the flesh!" Yelled a somewhat flustered looking Ronald Weasely. It was clear that he had just finished a duel of his own as the boy sat on a bench in the back with his recent girlfriend holding a pack of ice to his forehead.

"You are looking as distraught as ever Ronald. Catch another spell to the head?"

"Nah, bumped my head on the floor after Padma covered the floor with ice." He elbowed the girl sitting next to him after saying this, eliciting a giggle.

"He'll be fine Harry, thanks for your concern." She said with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Im not so sure about his pride however."

"If I know Ron then this shouldn't hold him back. Especially in the broom cupboard." Harry replied with a waggle of the brow. Both recipients of his humor glanced towards the other for a moment before sticking their tongues out at the boy-who-lived. Harry just replied with the same before striding towards the main group cheering around the dueling ring.

In the middle two second years faced off. A blonde haired Hufflepuff boy was barraging a Slytherin with a variety of disarming spells. This was seemingly doing little to hold the boy with a green tie as he moved his way closer and closer towards his opponent. Harry was surprised by the boys strength in counter casting and dodging at first but quickly saw the tell-tale signs that the boy was using some sort of defensive enchantments on his robes.

Certainly he would be impressed that the boy could cast them in the heat of battle but judging by their effectiveness he knew they has been cast by another student beforehand. Despite this he refused to intervene, hopeful that the disadvantaged Hufflepuff could hold his own. He was not dissapointed as the boy wearing a yellow tie waited until the last moment to slash a wide reaching and particularly strong close ranged stinging hex, propeictus exacuere, that hit the robed boy directly in the chest.

Even with his defensive charms it was clear the Slytherin was hit a harsh blow as he staggered back. Harry was hopeful for a skillful rebuttal from the Slytherin but quickly saw the boy reach into his pocket for something that was not a spell. In an instant Harry flashed forward to both grab and break the boys arm. Blood soaked the robe of the younger student, some sort of pain reduction charm keeping the boy from screaming. Harry was unsurprised go see a small black dagger held in the crippled hand but the rest of those huddled around the intense duel were filled with shock at the suddenness of the brutal act. That was until Harry pulled the cursed dagger from his hand and held it aloft for everyone to see.

Nearly everyone immediately knew what this meant and those that didn't were quickly informed amongst the panic. Nonetheless, it took Flitwick himself entering the ring and casting a charm to repair the boys broken arm for the fervor to die down.

"Calm down you ninnies, John will be fine and you all know it." Shouted the short wizard. "Based on his actions he will be the looser of this duel. Let us have everyone take a quick break while I talk to Harry about his own actions." Immediatelt two seventh year Slytherins came to help their younger counterpart out of the ring Harry gave them a strong glare. While he only vaguely recognized their faces something in his magic twinged to give him the feeling that that at least one bared the Dark Mark. Flitwick confronted him after making sure the students injury was healing properly.

"We both know that was unnecessary, Harry." The short professor told him in a hushed tone. Most of the club heard this despite the lowered voice.

"Im going to argue that we both know it was not that simple, Professor. Im sure the lad didnt comprehend he was about to kill his classmate," Harry snaked a glance towards the watching Slytherins who were watching back, "but at least the moron learned his lesson."

"He was never in any danger under my watch. Do you really think my wand wasnt ready to repel that dagger?" Replied Flitwick, no longer caring if he was heard by the students.

"Of course not, I simply believe my way was more effective in curbing the belief that such actions are acceptable." Harry said this fully aware that the esteemed duelist would likely loose his temper. Even so he was unsure if the reaction he got was genuine or a calculated rebuttal to an inexperienced wizards boasting.

"With that I am sure you mean more than to spectate tonight. However I am unsure as to whom you wish to challenge to a duel." Flitwick replied with a noticeable glimmer in his eyes. Harry had only seen this once before after being accused of being behind the attacks of the chamber of secrets.

"I wish I could come up with a definite reason to challenge you to a duel. Im not naive enough to assume you would see right through my plans." Harry stepped back towards the starting line of his side of the dueling circle as he recognized the glimmer in his former instructors eyes.

"I would be glad to teach you a lesson about manners, Harry," Flitwick stepped behind the opposing line in what seemed like an instant, "I hope you are aware of the consequences of challenging me to a duel?"

"I promise not to try my best not to kill you professor, but I do say I wont stop you from trying to take mine." Harry replied, his smile a little too sincere. Flitwick did laugh in response, relieving some of the potential tension of the bystanders, but knew that this would be as serious a duel as he had ever participated in. Harry never challenged him like this before and it was clear by his expression that a fatal outcome was well within the sixth years train of though.

"Very well, to the winner the glory?" Flitwick asked in proper dueling fashion while also giving a deep bow. Harry responded with the same bow but replied vocally in a strange fashion.

"To the looser the experience." Was all the young man said before flying forward across the arena, his feet barely leaving the floor.

Flitwick was well aware of the advance as it happened, though still somewhat surprised, and easily cast both a defensive ward and an illusion charm to distract his young opponent. Both of these only held off the black-haired opponent for a moment before he dispelled the blurry image of the Charms Professor and leapt out of the way of a fast moving bludgeoning spell. With a slash of his wand he sent bright white flames towards the area the spell came from as he was still unable to directly see Flitwick. Even the experienced duelist was unable to find any way to dodge the flames and was forced to give away his position by casting another defensive shield. Flitwick only had a moment to realize what was happening as Harry jumped through the blinding flames to tackle the small man. This was such a risky and surprising tactic that even one of the greatest Duelists in the world was taken down. This did not mean he was unprepared for such a situation as he cast an obscure spell few would dare use in a formal duel.

Just managing to flick his wand properly he cast a spell that covered himself and Harry in a slippery substance similar to what could be found on garden slugs. At the very least it smelled the same and allowed the Professor to slide out from Harry's grip as quickly as he had entered it. Harry was unable to avoid the binding spell that followed and found himself nearly encased in ropes. Once again Flitwick, and the surrounding crowd, was shocked as Harry slashed through the ropes with a longsword. Only a few in the crowd knew of his skills at swordsmanship and none knew from where he conjured the blade. Nonetheless it kept him from loosing the duel and caused his opponent to hesitate. Despite this Flitwick was not so slow as to hesitate casting another binding charm on Harry that bound him tightly in metal chains from head to toe.

Many cheered for the Dueling Tutor as they assumed the duel was finished, very few even knowing how to defend against such a spell let alone escape it. Harry himself did not know at the moment, but tried the only thing he could think of and spent a considerable amount of energy casting several blue arrows out from the wand held closely by his side. Normally they would not have drained him so much but he poured his energy into the spells with the hopes that they would have a greater affect than normal. To everyone watching, his wand arm grew a bright blue through the chain links before disintegrating the majority of the bindings. Feeling the release of pressure on his body he instinctively charged towards the opposite side of the ring with several quick steps while doing his best to word what spells he wished to cast. His wand reacted positively and blasted out a thick plume of purple smoke followed by two bands of energy that encircled the position of his enemy. Halting suddenly and jumping backwards it was little surprise that he caught his fleeing opponent off guard. Flitwick himself was sure that he would be able to move behind Harry at that point but instead found himself being the one flanked. The Boy Who Lived was more than happy to end the duel by holding his wand right under the smaller mans throat, even if it meant hunching over at an uncomfortable angle.

"Blast, I cant believe that worked on me." Exclaimed the small man before Harry withdrew his wand.

"You must be getting rusty then. Or maybe too sure of yourself?" Harry stashed his wand somewhere about his person and gave a deep bow to his Charms teacher.

"I dare say its a bit of both, and quite obvious as well. Nonetheless, that was a fantastic duel." Flitwick gave his own bow before continuing. "However I must ask what spell you used to break those chains? Ive never seen a wizard break free from mithril during a duel."

"A magician never reveals his secrets." Harry replied with a smile, only getting a confused frown and a shake of the head from the professor far too old to understand the muggle expression. There was a sizable chuckle of the audience before Flitwick called upon the two next duelists to enter the ring. He signaled Harry to follow him as the Professor made his way to a corner of the room that still had a view of what was happening between the dueling students.

"Ive put off asking this question far too long Harry. Where in Merlins name did you learn those spells you and Longbottom keep casting?" Flitwick had quite a greedy glimmer in his eye as clearly he held on too a fair bit of his goblin half. However it was far more directed towards knowledge than wealth like his ancestors were ought to chase.

"Not so fast, what makes you think id give up my only advantage against you?" Harry replied with a gloating smile. "If anything you should be asking yourself how to better counter them."

"I ask only in concern for where you learned them. I know you taught them to some others besides Neville and just want to know that such magic does not come from evil origins." Flitwick took a moment to glance over at the duel before continuing his serious glare towards the Potter heir.

"In all honesty the origin of the spells is not a place any of us would like to visit." His Professor looked furius for a moment but allowed Harry to continue. "However I find it quite insulting you think I would put others in the way of harm. I promise these spells do little more than drain ones magical reserves faster than normal. Much faster, in fact, but never to a point that ones magic is at risk of collapsing." Harry paused to let his Professor take in his words. "Is that satisfactory? I keep them a secret only to keep them out of the wrong hands."

"I am ashamed to have doubted you yet again Harry." Flitwick replied, offering his hand to be shook. "If only I could shake the habit you might grow to trust me as you once did."

There was sorrow in his voice that made Harry regret his words as he shook the hand; any feeling of hatred from the past having long since vanished as they became replaced with more pressing concerns. The Boy Who Lived only stared for a moment before looking over to watch the duel in silence. His Professor did the same just in time to catch the end. It was a second year girl facing a boy in the fourth, though the match was fairly balanced. She was recognizable as one of the first years that had joined the DA early on and it showed. Her dodges and use of simple spells chained together in complex patterns was very similar to Harry's own dueling style. However, as Harry had learned at her age, that could only take you so far against a more powerful and experienced opponent. A disarming jinx landed just after she came out of a roll, throwing her wand out of the arena to be caught by one of the crowd. All the normal formalities were given as the crowd applauded, prompting Harry to give his final response to his Professor.

"I trust you more than any of the Professors here, and more than many in my life. I promise that you will be one of the first to learn the truth of my strange behavior these last months." Filius seemed about to protest before Harry cut him off. "Do not deny it; I am fully aware of how deviant my behavior has been. More than it ever has, that is. For now, I only ask that you keep supporting me as I hope you know I stand behind you." His words touched the aging Professor deeply and made the man feel humble. It felt as if he was talking to one far older and wiser than he should have been. Although he knew the boy's life had been very hard and was only mildly surprised at such a response.

"All I can say is that you are correct in that assumption. I feel you need to go, and bid you farewell." Harry nodded respectfully as he turned to stride away.

"And Harry," his Professor yelled, "I look forward to your presence in class tomorrow." This was given with as much cheer as he could muster. However, the young man turned to give only a pained grin and a wave before striding quickly out he door.

Flitwick would wish that his hopes came true, as the following Monday the situation surrounding the Dark Lord had turned from bad to catastrophic.

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A/N

Hope that this tides you over. Im writing as much as possible, but its been hard to find time to write. Give me some feedback, ill try my best to respond with a chapter or DM's.

Love ya, thanks for reading!


	35. Chapter 34

HPDS 34

Disclaimer: Here we go...

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Harry's dreams were interrupted by a flash and loud bang. His eyes snapped open to see the canopy of the Forbidden Forest above him illuminated by bright lights shining through the tree line from the direction of Hogwarts Castle. The flares continued in eery silence before another large boom shook through his body and made the branches around him shake.

In a moment he was on his feet and dashing through the underbrush and low branches between him and his destination. His strides carried him meters at a time but still he knew it would be more than twenty minutes before he reached the edge of the woods. Even as he pushed himself to move faster it seemed that the lights of battle spells coming from his home came only slightly closer. Yet again he found another way that the problems caused by his curse were never-ending.

It was at this moment he heard the beating of large feet against the spongy ground close behind. Before he could react a large arm lifted him and began carrying him in the direction he had been heading. Judging by the bouncing motion and greatly increased speed it took only a moment to realize what was going on, though his wand was more than ready to cast several deadly spells.

"Dark Walker," started the voice of the centaur that carried him through the forest, "It is time for you to fight in this realm." Whatever face the magical creature made he could not discern through the darkness and blur of foliage. However it was quite obvious that the Centaur spoke with certainty.

"Is it the Dark Lord? Has he come to sack Hogwarts?" He asked even though the answer was certain.

"This is true. The faceless snake seeks to gain power on this ground. Our stars are unable to speak what he seeks but only you can warp his goals." Harry hoped for a moment that the centaur meant he would be victorious despite what his gut told him.

"Will I kill him? Is there any hope to end this today?" They centaur did not respond for a moment which made Harry feel he would not like the response.

"Nay, we both know his spirit is beyond that." The thumping of hooves slowed as he said this, coming to a stop at the edge of the tree line near the Lake. "The road ahead for every soul in this world shall be tragic. You are its cause, but also its redeemer." Harry could see only the glimmer of magical sparks in the centaurs eyes. "Fear not the path ahead, your power shall guide you through the pits of despair and to the edge of conquest. From there fate will allow you to decide the end to your tale."

"I guess thats encouraging, can you tell me-" Harry began, about to ask for a more solid explanation. Before he could he was swung down to be placed on the ground and the horse-man disapeared into the dark woods as if he had never been there. "Fine, ill go figure it out on my own then!" He yelled into the night. After a moment without response Harry turned and ran towards the castle.

As he drew near, thuds of powerful spells raked his body alongside the scream of battle that filled his ears. His blood pumped with magical energy and both hands found his favored weapons. His wand hummed against his palm while his sword waved through the air as he sprinted. Most of the battle seemed to be focused on the far side of the ground but there were seemed to be a sizable party trying to enter from nearby. It was fortunate they did not expect a surprise attack on themselves.

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"Hold the line you fools! The Dark Lord shall not forgive failure against only a single school child!" Screamed the commander of a group of Death Eaters Harry currently faced down. Between them lay the bodies of nearly a dozen masked Death Eaters as well as a pair of bodies belonging to students that were unlucky to be caught outside. Harry still breathed heavily from his run to the castle and following attack on the unsuspecting wizards, but far from enough to slow him down in battle. He grinned as he realized his advantage in the situation, with the dark wizards backed up against a closed gate, not to mention how unorganized the wizards were after his surprise attack. Many of them realized this as well, hesitating for several moments as the Boy Who Lived caught his breath. Even then his moment of relief was not long lived.

Spells flew at him from the line of enemies. Some were clearly cast improperly and most flew far from their intended target. It was fairly easy for the young wizard to dodge what few spells flew close as he began barraging the line of enemies with the most powerful curses he could cast quickly. One bounced off the solid shield produced by the commander but three more blasted right through flimsy walls of light. The wizards hit by the blasts flew back against the castle walls with tremendous force and did not get back up. Still outnumbered he did his best to move around the glowing spells sent his direction while also sending blasts of energy back at them. A cutting spell caught the bicep of his sword arm but caused him to reflexively dodge out of the way of two more that followed. The pain was minimal and only faltered the young man for a moment afterwards. Unluckily this was all his opponents needed to send him on the defensive until Harry had retreated back behind a cluster of rocks.

"Push forward you bastards!" Yelled the commander. Peaking around the edge of his cover Harry saw the dark forms of his opponents approaching towards where he hid. Normally he knew that his odds would be quite slim. However he had a trick up his sleeve and began forming thoughts of the instinctual magic from his dreams. With a final flick up his arm upwards he sent several glowing orbs above his head, however well over the cover he hid behind. Looking back around his cover he saw all of his opponents only feet away paused at the strange sight. Their forms were clearly illuminated in the darkness as they waited to see what would happen. As the balls of magical energy above him glowed he leapt out from behind his cover.

Each of the orbs shot towards different Death Eaters. One managed to duck out of the way of the deadly projectiles, however four were left with large holes burnt into their bodies as the magic struck. Harry sent two slashing hexes as he dove from cover and landed with a roll. One hit its mark, nearly cutting one Death Eaters head off with his neck spraying blood everywhere. The other cut through a collarbone and sent another servant of the Dark Lord to the ground screaming. Two of his opponents managed to find their brains and sent spells after him but they were so hastily cast he had no trouble stepping out of the way. With only a handful remaining he decided to let loose, wanting to end the fight quickly. Some he simply disarmed and stunned, as the spells were quick and easy to cast, but others were engulfed with flames or dismembered by spells many would consider illegal. As Harry dodged spells that would definitely be considered prohibited he did his best to close the gap between himself and the remaining opponents.

A dark purple spell singed his hair, as well as another deep red wave of magic that cut through his cloak. For the three remaining opponents his speed seemed impossible as he charged forward, although it was likely their inexperience with close quarters fighting. One was slashed across the chest and spurting blood before the others realized their young opponent was even holding a sword. Another fell screaming, Harrys's sword buried in his chest, before the last wizard started running away in the direction of the lake.

"What kind of monster are you!" Yelled the terrified Death Eater. The man tripped and fell on his face less than twenty yards from where Harry stood. Walking calmly towards the frightened wizard Harry decided the man deserved an answer to his question after roughly kicking the robed man onto his back.

"What an absurd question coming from a Death Eater." His wand glowed a turquoise color as he bound the wizard in thick ropes. "I am the abyss here to consume the darkness, you fool." He flipped the man over to look him in the eyes. "Ill leave you here, just know that you are at the mercy of whoever finds you, wether it be the Dark Lord or one of my comrades." Another spell sealed his lips shut before Harry made his way back to the gates.

His first push against the solid wood resulted in no reaction. However he heard the sound of the large beams of wood bracing the door closed sliding out of place. His next attempt at opening the gate resulted in the large doors sliding smoothly open. Without a second thought he strode inside, the timber swinging shut and locking in place behind him.

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"Bloody hell Harry, where have you been?" Shouted Parvarti as Harry entered the famously private library shared by himself and his friends. Luna was the first to jump up and give him a tight hug which was returned with just as much compassion.

"Im glad you're okay." She said, still clinging to his side. He didn't doubt that their entire time during the attack had been spent in an intense state of fear. Several of the younger students, apparently taking refuge in the hidden abode, were crying or looking at him with sad faces. Neville himself had been pacing on one side of the room until noticing Harrys arrival. He strode quickly up to where Harry stood and gave him a quick hug.

"Its damn good to see you. Any trouble on your way back from the forest?" Neville asked the question so casually that Harry stood for a moment unable to answer. He had assumed his nightly outings were at least somewhat secret.

"How do you-" he started, but was quickly cut off by the tall Gryffindor.

"Oh please, we all know where you go. Ill be damned where exactly you disappear to despite my stalking." He grinned, placing a hand on the black haired boys shoulder. "Don't worry, pretty much everyone in the school knows at this point."

"I guess the invisibility cloak doesn't protect from gossip then." Harry admonished with a sigh. "The trip back inside wasnt too bad, only a couple dozen Death Eaters. Not to mention Peeves was being more of an arse than usual."

"Bloody hell, if it was anyone else id think you slipped by them but I know you. How did you manage that fight?" Neville sat down in a chair nearby. Harry also took a seat on a couch, landing in Luna's lap before she gave him a tight hug.

"I caught most of them by surprise." Harry explained, giving Luna a peck on the cheek. "The rest were so disorganized it wasn't too difficult to put them down. Judging by how shit they were at casting spells they must have been recruits anyway."

"I wish so many Magical's weren't so stupid as to fight for that bastard." Parvarti said while making her way over to Neville, sitting on the arm of his chair.

"It does worry me that I most likely killed people our own age, but we all know what it means to take the mark upon your arm." He gave a glance around the room, seeing that several were amazed at how bluntly he talked about the violence. However he was glad to see a look of determination on many others. "Do you all have any idea what is going on at the front of the castle?"

"Death Eaters everywhere casting whatever spells they can. No sign of Voldemort luckily, and the Professors have the castle locked down for now." Replied Neville.

"Nobody knows where Headmaster Dumbledore is though," continued Luna, "Do you know where he is? Even Professor Mcgonagal didn't know when I asked her."

"I really have no idea," Harry stated, "It has been days since I last talked to him. Whatever he is doing, Voldemort clearly knew he would be gone and took the chance to attack. I can only assume that means Dumbledore will be held up for quite some time or possibly got caught in some sort of trap."

"What are we supposed to do then!" Yelled one of the younger wizards in the room, a Hufflepuff if the colors of his tie meant anything.

"It means we either fight or surrender, the same as if the Headmaster were here." Retorted Neville with a bit of anger in his voice.

"Dont be so harsh," Harry replied, "We all know the situation is bleak. For now I suggest you hide here unless you want to go to the gates. Speaking of which, it is about time I make my way there. Is anyone coming?" It was almost natural to look towards Neville for support, though he quickly caught the gaze of everyone else in the room afterwards. Besides the younger students he knew that the majority of the room would be accompanying him. Needing no verbal confirmation from them he stood and gave a nod to the room. "Right then, lets go see if those fuckers are ready to give up yet."

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A/N

Another step forward. My plans should have the next chapter be a bit more of a leap though.

Thanks for reading!


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